The Unforgiven
by LiveLifeLove22
Summary: A woman living on the coast stumbles across a wounded 007 after he's shot. When he returns to aid MI6, she accompanies him. What will happen when she meets the new Quartermaster? Q/Oc (A/N: Will be rated M for language, violence, and future scenes.)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Welcome to my new story :D Hope you enjoy it, I'm having a lot of fun with it. **

**Disclaimer: I only own my Oc**

* * *

A slender woman stared out at the barren shore of the ocean. An eerie feel resonated from all around. The chill of late autumn clung to the bracken air. Not a soul could be seen for several miles. Monstrous waves crashed into the sandbanks, creating strong riptides. Tall swells disturbed the resting place of many birds, making them take flight. The woman pushed up her large black framed glasses and went back to reading her book.

One of the originally released paperback copies of Pride and Prejudice sat nimbly in her hands, her dextrous fingers delicately handling the pages.

She worried her lower lip and a small crease formed between her brows.

_Why can't Darcy just reveal his feelings? It's obvious to everyone including the majority of the characters and the readers that he wants to be with Elizabeth. Yet, they have to play a haphazard game of cat and mouse until they finally get together in the end._

Relationships are stupid. Always have been, always will be._  
_  
The woman couldn't help the smirk that lifted her bruised lip from the prison of her teeth.

Overanalyzing things. Always a recipe for a brilliant outing.

The woman committed the page number to memory- which wasn't too impressive, to be honest. She'd only gotten a couple chapters in. It was impossible to not get distracted by the ocean and the mindless observations that invaded her overactive mind.

Standing, she wiped the coarse sand from her slender legs which were encased in faded denim. The jeans were faded not by manufacturers, but rather years of use and trips to the beach. They rode low on her slender hips. The legs were rolled up, hopefully not getting the pesky sand granules inside. The woman slid her book carefully into the brown leather satchel she wrapped around her body. Adjusting the shoulder strap to rest comfortably across her body caused her vintage cropped band shirt to ride up, exposing the expanse of tanned, taught stomach.

Sending one last longing glance towards the ocean, the woman pulled her unruly collection of sun bleached, waist length hair into a loose bun at the crown of her head.

As if saying her final farewell, she sighed deeply, breathing in the salty air, the cool temperature shivering through her lungs. Finally she closed her eyes before departing.

* * *

The woman pulled her black 67 Chevy Impala in front of a large apartment complex. She entered the building and scaled the stairs up to the twelfth floor. She feared elevators more than a zombie apocalypse. The noise, the jostling motions... The blonde shuddered as she exited the dimly lit stairwell. Her breathing was steady, even after taking the steps two at a time. Once she reached a door marked _12F_, she opened it with a key taken from the bag at her side. She pushed the door open, adjusting her glasses.

"Kira? You home?" The woman called, tossing the keys into small bowl in the entrance. The clatter echoed through the small apartment. She slipped off her worn Vans and walked into the living room.

"Kira? I'm back from the beach..." The words drifted off when she entered the kitchen. A large pool of thickened blood on the hardwood floor shocked the woman into motion. The sliding glass door that lead to the balcony was wide open, the drapes blowing in the wind. From the bathroom, she saw the large shadow of a man from the illuminated light. Running on light feet, she slipped into her bedroom. Quickly reaching under the mattress, she felt the smooth grip of her Walther P99.

Taking cover behind her wardrobe, the blonde checked her magazine and turning the safety off the weapon. She listened to the heavy clanging of metallic instruments in the porcelain sink in the bathroom. Moments later, there were stumbling footsteps and the sloshing noise of water soaked clothing. Bare feet silent on the floor, the woman emerged from the bedroom. She had a visual on the man long before he saw her.

In front of the mirror within the small bathroom, the man seemed to be digging a bullet from his side and chest with a deadly sharp knife from the kitchen. His blonde hair was closely cropped to his head. His back was turned to her and it was completely bare. Taut muscles bunched in his shoulders, revealing seemingly unbearable levels of tension. Sopping wet black slacks hung low on narrow hips. The woman stalked forward with lethal precision. Only inches away, the man finally saw her in the mirror. Even injured, the woman was surprised at how fast he moved.

He struck first, knocking the P99 from her grip. The woman rolled out of reach, jumping up and kicking the knife from his hand. He blocked her kick and sent a sharp punch to her abdomen. The force of the blow sent her to the ground, eyes wide. She used the momentum to bounce back to her feet before he could advance.

The two had now moved to the kitchen.

The man stumbled, his previous wounds effecting his movements. He reached for several cabinets, looking for another knife. Not finding anything to his liking, he started throwing plates of fine china at the woman. She skillfully dodged the deadly flying objects, mourning for the vintage plates which had been a gift from her grandmother years ago.

"Well aren't you an asshole!" The woman scoffed angrily, ducking under the last plate.

She had retrieved several steak knives from the wood block behind her. With accuracy that revealed years of training, one by one, knives were spun in the man's direction. Somehow able to evade them all, he advanced towards her.

That's when she noticed how light his blue eyes were. He was quite an attractive man.

_So not the time!_

Rolling over the marble counter, she ran for the gun in the living room, just outside the balcony doors. Heavy footfalls pounded behind her.

A muscled body tackled her to the ground, inches away from the weapon. The air left her lungs at the sudden weight pressing into her. Her head struck the hardwood floor. She bit back the gasp of pain. Strong arms snaked around her, taking her small wrists in his hands.

"Just-" The man's accented voice was cut off. The blonde woman snapped her head back, smashing into his nose.

"Stop..."

The word trailed off. The woman flipped around just before pulling both legs up to her chest. One powerful kick sent the man flying into the glass coffee table in the middle of the room. The glass shattered; thick pieces slid over the wood floor. The man rolled onto his knees, grunts of exertion filled with pain.

Just before he was about to stand, the man looked up. The woman stood above him, gun in hand.

With a swift blow with the butt of the gun, the blonde woman struck him over the back of the head.

The man fell to the ground, everything around him going black.

The woman stood above the man, grasping her head. Blood trailed down her temple.

A string of colorful swears left her lips as she gazed around the room.

It looked like a war zone.

She leant down, turning over the man. Her head was spinning. She blinked to clear her vision before searching the man. She found a soaked black designer wallet in his back pocket and pulled a Beretta Px4 Storm from the waistband of his slacks. She hummed in appreciation of the weapon and placed both on the marble kitchen countertop. She opened the wallet almost tentatively, as if there was going to be a card saying:

_Hey, I'm here to kill you :)_

The woman sighed at the idiotic thought. She looked through everything, only finding several waterlogged bills of various currencies. She also found some form of identification.

_James Bond_

_Citizen of the United Kingdom_

Then finally, the woman found a thicker plastic card and dropped it on the counter in shock.

**SIS- SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE**

**NAME: BOND, JAMES**

**RANK: COMMANDER**

**STATUS: 00 - LISENCE TO KILL**

She looked over at the man, brow raised.

"Who the hell are you, Mr. Bond? And what are you doing here?"

In the hours in which James remained unconscious, the woman extracted the last of the bullets from his wounds, putting them in a small jar. She also had to take out all of the shard of glass that had sunk deep into the skin of his bare back. It took thirty nine stitches to close all his wounds, and whatever was left of the antiseptic and gauze in the medicine cabinet.

Afterwards, the blonde cleaned the apartment. She could only imagine how her OCD roommate would react to the demolition.

With the last of the glass and vintage china swept into a bulging trash bag, the woman heard a pained moan from her bedroom. She reached for her Walther and James's wallet.

When she entered the room, she could see that James was awake. The woman had stripped him of his soaking pants methodically and placed him within the warmth of a thick duvet. She had also handcuffed him to the bedpost. A bright flush filled her cheeks. The handcuffs weren't metallic. They were fluffy and hot pink. She couldn't find anything of her own in such short notice, but Kira on the other hand...

James quirked a brow at the blush.

"Well... this is new..."

"Sorry. Don't usually have men trying to kill me in my apartment."

He scowled. "I wasn't trying to-"

"Why are you here?" The woman interrupted, pulling a wooden chair from the bureau desk and sitting so she faced him. She placed the gun and James's wallet on the desk.

"I...I was shot."

"Yeah, I know. Pulled the fragments out and stitched you up." The woman crossed her arms over her chest.

Silence filled the room. The woman was the first to speak.

"Why are you trying to kill me?"

James looked confused.

"You were the one trying to kill me... I was defending myself."

The blonde lady sputtered out a laugh.

"This is my house! You're that one traipsing around, trying to _murder_ me. I'm completely innocent here. I was defending my home."

James sighed and his head sunk down into the pillow under him.

"Well this just went tits up," he whispered, mostly to himself.

"So... I gather you weren't here to kill me?"

"No. I just needed somewhere safe."

"Twelve floors up?"

"Yours was the first balcony which had its doors unlocked."

_How many times do I have to tell that stupid girl to lock the doors?_

She sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Alright."

James looked over and saw his wallet on the desk. His face hardened.

"I gather you went through my things?"

"Yes."

"Do you know-"

"That you're SIS?"

He sighed exasperatedly. The woman smirked.

"Sorry, man. Had to know who I was dealing with."

"Well now you know," he growled angrily.

The lady tapped her nails on the desk.

"So what are you, MI5?"

"MI6," James deadpanned, gazing towards the ceiling, looking as though he were praying for some kind of divine intervention.

The woman cursed internally.

"How were you able to fight like that? You were able to take me down-"

The lady waved off his words, sensing their conversation was treading into dangerous waters.

"You were injured."

"What are you, CIA? You're obviously from America."

The woman flinched. She hoped James's eyes wouldn't notice. They did.

Standing, she reached for a small key on the desk. James watched her closely as she advanced. She crawled onto the bed.

"Well, well..." James chuckled huskily as the attractive woman unlocked his left wrist. Her face flamed.

"Shut it," she hissed as she freed him entirely, despite her laying haphazardly across him. Her face felt so hot. Her knee accidently grazed something hard. James grunted, gazing up at the ceiling again. She leaped off of the agent in seconds, then already at the door.

"What's your name?" James voice still had a layer of heat to it, but he was able to extinguish it quickly.

The woman met James's eyes directly.

"Rose. My name is Rose."

Then she was gone.

* * *

**xD Think I should continue? Let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I only own my Oc**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

In the weeks that followed, Rose found herself growing close to Bond. He had a certain charm to him. It made him irresistible. The real problem was, every other woman he encountered, whether it be on a leisurely stroll or a trip to the market, felt the exact same way.

So no matter how much the agent flirted or insinuated, there was no way on earth she would give in to James Bond.

On the last day of the month, Rose woke early. She gasped for breath, coming back to reality. The nightmares had gotten worse over the past month.

Since Bond arrived.

Thankfully Kira was always over at her boyfriend's house, so Bond had been bunking in her room.

Rose pushed the thought from her head. Scrubbing a tired hand down her face, she swung her legs over the side of the small bed. Rising to her feet, Rose ran a hand through her long tresses. Her bangs were wet with cold sweat and clung to her face and neck. A deep sigh shuddered through her slim frame. Her bare feet padded the wood floor as she made her way to the small bathroom. She could hear the sound of the shower on. The door was open just a crack, but Rose could still see the muscled body of her friend through the mist. Uncaring of formalities, the woman entered the bathroom and grabbed a small face cloth. She had to wipe away the nights terrors before they solidified into her consciousness. Not looking to the figure so close on her right, she ran the faucet. Watching the cool water flow into the porcelain bowl made Rose's eyes unfocused; her mind drifting off. Time went by and unwelcome thoughts plagued her.

Suddenly, the woman felt a hand over hers, shutting off the frigid water. Finally focusing, Rose looked down.

The sink had overflowed, water escaping onto the floor. The large hand over hers tightened slightly.

"I think it's full now, Rose," James said, voice filled with mirth. Yet there was something else. Worry at her actions.

Rose's eyes widened as she turned, her eyes meeting Bond's.

"Shit, sorry... I wasn't-"

"-Paying attention?" James smirked. Her eyes tracked the movement. Gulping, the woman moved away. He was clothed only in a white towel which was wrapped low around his hips.

"Knock it off, Bond," she hissed. Even though she had incredible self control, it was still difficult.

Lifting his hands in surrender, he exited the bathroom. Rose sighed in relief.

After she had wiped the remnants of the night from her tanned flesh, she mopped up the water that was all over the floor.

She walked into the kitchen, wary that Bond might still be lacking any form of clothing. Alas, he wore a rumpled light shirt, dark jacket and tan slacks. He looked so... tired. He sat up on one of the wooden bar stools, his head cradled in his arms.

Smiling sadly, Rose approached him, still dressed for bed, which happened to be only a baggy shirt that went to her mid thighs.

"James?" Rose whispered, pressing a comforting hand to his muscled back. He tensed up for only a moment before melting into the touch. Over the month he had been with Rose, had become more used to her subtle touches and calming influence. He turned his head to look at her. Rose's impossibly light green eyes smiled down at him. His heart swelled. A tight smile was all he was able to grant her.

"I'm fine." Was all he said. Rose scowled, only patted his back once before walking around the counter to make a fresh pot of coffee. They sat in silence, the only noise was that of the coffee maker.

"Want some?" Rose asked pleasantly.

James smirked.

"Can you put something stronger in it?"

Rose glared, but retrieved her last bottle of Vodka from a high shelf. Ever since Bond had arrived, he had cleared out most of her alcohol. Apparently, it was never too early to begin nursing a drink for 007.

The woman passed him his coffee. She noticed him perk up as soon as the drink touched his lips.

"I still can't believe you hadn't had coffee until you met me," Rose chuckled.

Bond glared, but continued to drink.

"Well I suppose you do work for MI6. You guys love your tea," she smirked.

"How do you know that?"

"You live in the UK. Don't you all drink some form of tea?"

James scowl deepened at the stereotype. Rose laughed.

"Kidding, James. Jesus, I'm kidding! God, you take yourself so seriously."

His expression lightened as he finished off his coffee. Rose rolled her eyes and had a sip of hers.

"So what's on the schedule for today?" Bond questioned, placing his cup in the sink.

"I was thinking that we could go down to the market, then maybe we could go down to the beach later tonight."

The agent perked up and proceeded shooing her into her room to get changed. She laughed at his actions.

Rose dressed in a teal wrap dress that accented her curves and a large woolen sweater. James entered her room just as she slipped a necklace her head. They looked like dog tags.

He gazed at her form appreciatively. He had tried working all his charms on Rose, but nothing ever seemed to work. She would blush at times and he considered that a victory. The self control on that woman was incredible. Even traipsing around her flat half nude did little to gain her attention. He'd lived a month with this woman, but it honestly felt like a lifetime.

"Stop looking at me like that! I'm young enough to be your daughter!" Rose called over her shoulder at the entranced agent. She couldn't see the shudder of disgust that passed though him at that thought.

The harsh words had done the trick though. Bond trampled all lust filled emotions and offered his arm as they exited the apartment.

For the rest of the day, the two walked arm and arm, meandering through the market where the local merchants and farmers sold their best merchandise. Rose had to touch all the different fruits and vegetables, seeing which were most fresh and worth her money. James enjoyed this simple time with her, watching her focus and concentrate on the different stalls. He smiled as she spoke the local language fluently to the shopkeepers, bartering for the lowest prices possible.

While she was busy with a stand of freshly caught fish, James wandered through the crowd. At the end of the street, he found a table covered with beautiful bracelets. Glancing back at Rose, he paid for two bracelets, not bothering to fight the already low price. He stuffed them in his back pocket and walked back to Rose. They seemed to have already settled on a price and the fisherman was wrapping up the fish in thick brown paper. Rose politely thanked him, taking the package. The beautiful blonde looked up at Bond, pink lips smiling sweetly. He offered his arm to her before they headed back to the apartment. They took all the groceries up twelve floors of stairs. Rose refused to take the elevator.

James chuckled at her antics.

Soon they were finished placing all the perishable items in the fridge.

"So what did you get, James?" Rose asked. Bond's brow arched. The woman rolled her eyes. "You left for not nearly long enough if you met a woman. But you were gone long enough to reach that little stall with all the bracelets."

The agent scoffed. "How the bloody hell-"

Rose laughed. "Present. Now!"

Relenting, James pulled the two bracelets from his back pocket. One was certainly longer than the other and was braided pieces of tan leather. The other was a pretty sea foam green; the exact colour of her eyes. A small silver rose charm was woven in with the threaded pattern.

At the sight of the beautiful present, Rose launched herself at James. She took him by  
surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace.

"It's so beautiful! James..." She pulled back enough to look into his eyes. He grinned.

"I'm glad you like it," the agent said, his accent thick in the deep timbre of his voice.

She blushed as his calloused fingers grazed her wrist as he knotted the bracelet.

The woman thanked Bond once more before running to change out of her dress and into a pair of low riding dark wash skinny jeans and a long sleeved checkered flannel button up.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the beach, lounging in the sand. James had wrapped a strong around Rose's waist as she read her Pride and Prejudice novel. He watched the way her thick framed glasses slid down her nose when she concentrated on a passage. How pieces of her sloppy bun fell out and caught the wind.

She was beautiful.

"Stop it, James," Rose sighed, not even gazing down at him from where was laying in the sand.

He chuckled. "I'm not doing anything!"

"You're staring at me again," she shot back, not missing a beat.

"I can't help it! I have my arm wrapped around the most beautiful girl I've ever met, and I'm not supposed to look?"

"You are such a goddamned flirt!" Rose cried as she slammed her book shut.

"Am I not supposed to look?" James asked once more, quirking a brow.

"Not like that, you're not," the woman chuckled. The agent sighed and let himself fall back into the sand.

Suddenly, the voice of a lady down the beach called out.

"James!"

Rose sighed.

One of the tanned native women to the area ran towards the two. Her long ebony tresses floated around her in waves. A pretty dress hung from her curves. Dark features were filled with joy at the sight of the man laying in sand.

"The call of the wild..." Rose muttered. James grimaced.

"James!" the woman cried. Rose moved out of the agent's arms and collected her things. She sighed, slightly disappointed.

This was the problem with James. However amazing and sweet he was, women threw themselves at him as if they were magnetized to him. And he was perfectly fine with it.

"Lena..." James muttered as the woman threw herself on top of him.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Malia," she hissed. Bond looked up at her in apology.

"Malia... Malia! It's a pleasure to see you again!"

"It most certainly is..." The woman smiled seductively. After an awkward moment, the woman jumped to her feet and tugged on James's hand, trying to pull him with her. Finally James got up.

Rose turned her back and began to walk down the beach. Before she could leave, she felt James turn her around. She crossed her arms, unimpressed. The agent had the decency to flinch at the look on her face.

"I'll meet you later? Down at the bar?" He asked quietly.

Rose bobbed her head, emotion void from her face.

"Yeah, whatever. See ya James." The blonde moved out of the man's reach and down the beach, arms crossed in front of her chest.

He watched her walk away from him. A foreign emotion filled his chest before he followed after Malia. At least he could rid the tension from his body.

Even though Rose didn't think of James in a romantic sense, she was still hurt. They had plans to have supper together then go to the cinema.

The woman adjusted her bag across her body. She turned.

James and Malia were only small figures on the beach, fading into the horizon.

Rose sighed, before turning to stare at the crashing waves of the ocean.

She was alone once more.

* * *

**There we go! Sexy Bond ;D We will enter Skyfall movieverse next chapter. Thanks to those who fav/follow/reviewed!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! I think this the first time in almost a year uploading twice in one day... **

**Hahaha I guess thats great for you guys! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own my Oc and all dialogue that is not in Skyfall :D**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Rose strolled down the beach, heart heavy in her chest.

Why were men always so idiotic?

The woman sighed as she looked out at the horizon. The sun was beginning to set behind the rising water of the ocean. The swells were high and crashed heavily into the sandy shore. Hues of purple and indigo faded into warmer reds and yellows.

It was beautiful.

Rose finally reached the local bar at the end of the shore, strappy gladiator sandals in hand. She waved to the bartender with a kind smile. He came behind the counter just as she climbed up on one of the stools.

"D...d-din-ner?" The man's choppy attempt at English made the woman grin widely. For the past year, Rose had been teaching the man English in exchange for dinner and a couple drinks once a week. It was a fair trade.

"Sounds great. What are you making?" The woman spoke slow enough for the bartender to follow the words. His brow creased as he concentrated.

"Ah...Cheek-hean?"

Rose nodded and patted the man's hand.

"Chicken?"

"Yes, yes, chick-hen."

The woman chuckled and held up her hand. The bartender grinned and gave her a high-five.

He'd had a lot of fun learning that one.

* * *

The locals party was in full swing when James finally showed up. Rose was sitting alone at a table in the farthest corner at the back of the bar. Unlike the local women perched on stools at the bar who enjoyed their fruity little drinks, the blonde woman held a bottle of beer in her left hand and seemed to be playing cards.

James looked all around the bar for Rose. He ordered a glass of whiskey and threw some money onto the counter. Taking a swig tiredly, he found his beautiful friend seated in the far corner to the room, ignoring the crowds of male attention that ebbed and flowed around her. A neat card game was spread across the small table in front of her.

The agent sauntered forward. He pulled a chair from a nearby table and sat across the woman. She still hadn't looked up from her game. James coughed just loud enough for her to hear.

"Not interested. Move along," she sighed exasperatedly. The man's brow creased.

"Rose...?" He reached over and placed a hand on her arm.

A quiet rumble emitted from the back of her throat. She looked up at Bond, her eyes frigid.

"Move. Along."

"Why are you angry with me?"

Rose scoffed and threw down the cards in her hand.

"Why do you _think_?" She growled snatching her arm from his grip.

"I don't know. That's why I asked-"

"Why are men so stupid?! Honestly, you're impossible!"

James paused. He'd never seen his friend this way before.

"...You're mad... because I'm male?"

Rose's head smacked the table.

"Thanks for proving my point, you clueless bastard." Her mumbles were barely loud enough for James to hear.

"Is this about Leah?"

"Jesus _Christ_! Your fuck buddy's name is Malia, James. _Malia_!"

The agent's scowl deepened as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"So you _are_ madabout her?" Bond asked, confused.

"No _shit_ Sherlock! It doesn't take a secret agent to figure that out. Oh... wait... I guess it does!" She hissed out through gritted teeth, eyes snapping up to glare into the man's bright blue orbs.

"Why does she matter, Rose? Are you _jealous_?" He accused. There was an almost wistful tone in his voice, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. The beautiful woman raked harsh fingers through her flaxen locks in frustration.

"No, James. But we made plans for the evening already. You think its fine to just run off with the first bimbo that literally throws herself at you!" Rose let out an infuriated breath before inhaling deeply.

Neither spoke for a length of time. A tense air surrounded the table as the woman chugged the rest of her beer.

After what felt like forever, she looked up, only to see James absent from his chair. Alarmed that she hadn't heard him get up, Rose stood and checked the boisterous crowd circled around the bar. At the center... was James. A large scorpion was perched haphazardly on his hand. He quickly drank the amber liquid in his glass. He flicked the scorpion from his hand and imprisoned it inside his cup.

Stalking forward, Rose cut through the rowdy crowd. She launched herself up onto the high counter and stood above the group.

"Party's over gentlemen! The bar's closed!"

Repeating the statement in the local language was met with equal parts cries of indignation and catcalls at the beautiful blond. Bending down, Rose freed the imprisoned scorpion. She guided the poor creature into her palm, where it shivered, aggravated at being handled so roughly. The locals scurried from the bar at the sight of the angry scorpion. Those with courage watched the woman stroke the creature's armored spine, effectively calming it in moments.

James arched a brow at the impossible actions of the woman who was still crouched upon the counter of the bar. Several minutes later, the woman jumped off the bar and released the creature into the woods at the edge of the beachside bar.

On her way back to James, she picked up her leather bag from her table, collected her empty bottle of beer as well as the deck of cards. Sighing, she gave the cards back to the bartender who smiled gratefully in her direction. He was never comfortable when the bar became as crowded as it was. Rose smiled and waved it off. She sat up on the counter, slim legs dangling over the edge. James looked up at her tiredly. Sighing, Rose let the agent lay his head on her lap, using it as a pillow.

"I haven't cocked this up, have I?"

James's words took the woman by surprise.

"I don't know, Bond. I was really looking forward to dinner with 007..."

The agent lifted his head, only to see a small smile ghost over her lips.

"You are a demon."

"And here I thought I was your angel!"

"...Fair enough."

There was a long pause before either spoke. James laid his head back down.

"I'm rubbish at all of this."

"What?" Rose questioned, adjusting her glasses.

"Relationships. Intimate, friendships, family-" The woman noticed how the agent cut his words off midsentence.

"So is everyone, James. Whoever says that life is walk in the park is a fucking liar. You're not alone."

The man looked up once more, face illuminated in the yellow light.

"No one has ever said that to me..."

Rose laughed softly at the emotional light in his eyes.

"Well that was before you met me, mister," she said, poking his creased forehead with a dainty fingertip.

"My guardian angel," the agent muttered, as if testing the unfamiliar words on his tongue. After a moment, he smiled, the edges of his eyes crinkling. Rose found it endearing.

Almost too soon, the sun rose above the forest. The two friends sat at the bar for hours, chatting about nothing and everything at the same time. Finally, James had drifted into a peaceful sleep, his head still cradled in Rose's lap. She massaged her fingers into his scalp and neck until his breathing deepened and evened out. Now, she traced random patterns on the back of his neck.

Then the bartender turned on the television, the local stations chattering, breaking through the perfect silence.

Then there was a report... were they talking about London?

"Can you find an American channel?" Rose called out to the bartender, her heart beating faster as she glanced down at James.

"_This is CNN Breaking News-_"

"James... James, wake up! There's something on the news!"

"_-Emergency crews are still attempting to assess the damage, as investigators hunt for leads in what now appears to be a major terrorist attack in the heart of London._"

"Jesus..." Rose gasped. James lifted his head, watching the reflection of the television in the mirror behind the bar.

"_No one has yet claimed responsibility for what sources are calling a possible "cyber terrorist" assault" on the British Secret Service._" James turned slowly, attention now fully on the news report before standing. "_Early reports from the scene indicate at least six dead, many more injured, with victims being evacuated to local hospitals within minutes of the explosion._"

"Turn it off," James said quietly, shock evident in his voice as he watched a large building burn out of control, tall flames licking the ash-filled sky. The agent threw a few bills onto the counter and rushed out of bar.

"James?" Rose called, following the man across the cool sand. "Where are you going?"

The blonde man spun to face her, features completely void of all emotion.

"The time has come for my resurrection."

Rose shivered at the words and jogged after the agent as he sped down the beach.

"James, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to return home. They need me there now, more than ever before. I don't have a choice."

Rose grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop.

"There is always a choice."

James breathed deeply. "Then I choose to help those who need me. I can't just sit by, and do nothing!" He cried, pulling his arm from her light grip. No matter the reason for his anger, it still hurt when he pulled away, or took things out on her. She couldn't move her feet any longer as she watched her friend move farther away.

"What about me?" Rose said, her soft words carried by the ocean's breeze. She knew the words were selfish, but it was a question which needed answering. James turned once more and pinched his nose.

"I-I can't stay here forever with you, Rose. I have to get home, to my job, my colleagues. Everything I care about is back... except..."

"Except what, James?"

"You. Bloody hell, except for you!"

Rose stumbled back, feet tripping in the sand. She hadn't expected that.

"-I won't be able to leave knowing you might not be safe..."

"I'll be fine. You know I can take care of myself."

"I know, I know. Christ!"

The two stared at each other for a long moment.

"Come with me."

"What?!"

"Come with me. Back to London-" James repeated, growing anxious.

"No, I got it the first time..."

"Please, we can live together just like it is now, we can be flatmates... maybe you can even help with the case-"

"Woah. I am not working with the government again."

James's light brows arched in surprise. Rose shut her eyes and cursed internally. She had never spoken to him of her training or previous employment. It took a while for the agent to continue after her noticeable slip.

"You could consult, help us with the investigation... I need you with me Rose. Even as just a friend, if that's what you want."

"Alright, alright. Let's go back to the apartment. I guess I have some packing to do."

* * *

**I cannot wait for Q. I'm basically just popping out these chapters like crazy so that I get to write about him. Hahaha xD**

**Have a great day! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I only own my Oc and scenes not in Skyfall XD**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Back at the apartment, it looked like a disaster zone. Clothes were strewn all over Rose's bedroom as she tried to figure what would be most appropriate to take. She shoved a couple of tank tops into a large duffle bag.

"How long should I pack for?" She called, rummaging through her underwear drawer, pulling out her favorite bras. She was holding one covered in black lace when James entered the room.

"I'm guessing indefinitely... How come I never get to see you in things like that?" He joked, sexy grin in full effect.

"Get out!" Rose growled, stuffing the bra into the duffle, not before throwing a pair of balled up socks at 007's head. He caught them midair, irritating Rose to no end. Instead of following the woman's wishes, the agent sat up on the bureau desk, long legs able to touch the floor as they hung over the side.

"Just bring a couple shirts, underwear and trousers. This is not Paris Fashion Week, Rose."

_He is such a guy. _

Rolling her eyes at the man, the blonde threw in a couple pairs of thick leggings, jeans, and shirts. Finally, she folded a sleek blazer, pencil skirt and silk indigo blouse. James raised a brow.

"If I'm going into the lion's den, I want to look good." She explained, nonchalant tone making the agent chuckle.

"Alright, alright." He relented, raising his hands.

Rose ran to the bathroom, gathered all her essentials which included her minimal collection of makeup. She'd been blessed with clear glowing skin and her tanned complexion rarely required foundation.

Back in her bedroom, she went through what remained of her closet. At the very back, a dark military style suit was encased in a black leather garment bag. Rose's heart raced as soon as she saw it. She pulled the bag out of the closet, glancing back at Bond.

"Rose? What's wrong?" James moved off the desk in one fluid movement, moving forward to grasp the woman's shoulder. Her felt her jump.

"N-nothing. Just... The past."

The man's eyes hardened. They'd lived together over a month, and Rose still hadn't told him anything about her. Not her past. Not how she, an American, came to live in one of the most secluded corners of the world.

The answer was obvious to him from the moment he set eyes on her.

She was hiding. Just like him.

From what though, James Bond had no idea.

He watched as his friend folded the garment bag, before carefully placing it inside her duffle. He smiled at her, his small measure of comfort, as she zipped the bag and swung it onto her shoulder.

Then, she fiddled with the top of the wooden frame of the closet. She was up on the very tips of her toes, stretching up to reach something James couldn't see. What he focused on at that moment was the strip of bare flesh of the woman's back. Her flannel shirt had ridden up, revealing a blood red tattoo of a rose at the base of her spine. The realistic piece of art was beautiful. A droplet of water seemed to glisten on one of its petals and the stem had small thorns embedded in its surface. The man couldn't help the natural reaction his body had at the sight. He sucked in a deep breath, attempting to tamper his emotions.

Suddenly, there was a loud click. The entire back of the closet slid away, a low hiss sounding throughout the room. Rose smirked when she glanced back at Bond. His light eyes had widened with surprise. Walking forward, the woman pulled the chain of a light bulb in the middle of the room.

Yellow light filled the small space. Weapons of all sizes were hanging from the walls. From machetes to throwing knives and AK-47s to a variety of Walthers. Grabbing another duffle, Rose began emptying the contents of the room into the bag. James stood at the entrance of the room and looked around.

_Where the bloody hell did this woman come from?_

Tossing the full bag to James, Rose moved on to a display with a long container. She opened it carefully. A well cared for Remington 700 Sniper Rifle sat in the velvet of the case. The woman sighed deeply before closing the case and swinging it across her slim body. The small armory was emptied by the time she finished. She let James carry one of the bags, even though it looked as though it pained her to part with it.

"Do you have a boat?" Bond questioned, wondering how the two would get to the UK.

"I know a guy..." Rose stated, cutting the statement short.

"Of course you do," the man countered drily.

Rose made sure to leave next month's rent on the kitchen counter and her keys in the small bowl in the entrance. The short note she left for Kira was the hardest. It was difficult to find the words to say. She wrote down what she could, and followed a quiet Bond out the front door.

They walked down the stairs, silence falling between the two.

"Are you sure about this, Rose?"

Rose shot a glance at her friend. The bags under his eyes had deepened, making him look even more tired and aged.

"Yeah."

"I'm taking you away from your home-"

The woman scoffed and waved off the statement. "It's fine, James. Honestly."

He stared into her eyes as they reached the ground floor. Walking through the front lobby, the agent searched for any sign of regret.

"I'm being selfish, aren't I?" he asked as they got to Rose's car. They packed the everything in the back. The woman slammed the trunk closed.

"Jesus James, I'm used to moving around. It's _fine_. Stop worrying. They need you. You want me with you. That's that."

When she said the words, it sounded as simple as if someone were reading out a recipe. The agent nodded slightly before sliding into the cream leather seat on the passenger side.

Rose sighed as she moved behind the wheel. They pulling out onto the busy street. It didn't take long for them to reach the docks.

Large ships shared space with small fishing boats. The woman navigated the car onto one of the biggest cargo ships, driving it up the wide loading deck.

A frantic older man ran out to meet them, shouting widely in the local language and waving his arms. Rose shut the engine off and slid out of the car. Seeing the woman immediately changed the man's demeanor. He quickly welcomed them onto his ship and sat them in the lounge.

"My friend and I are looking for safe passage to England."

The man nodded rapidly, promising them the utmost security and discretion possible. Rose smiled and passed him a large roll of bills. He spouted off something else, too fast for James to catch.

At his questioning look, Rose chuckled. "He says we will leave in an hour. And that he's still holding out hope that I'll marry his youngest son," she finished with a small smile.

James smirked. "It's not just me then?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, barely succeeding to hide the scarlet flush that colored her cheeks.

* * *

It was raining in the pitch black of night when the ship arrived in England. Rose thanked the Capitan once more before she and Bond climbed into the 67 Chevy Impala. The engine purred to life and they drove off the deck and down onto the pier. James directed her onto the road. He knew this area like the back of his hand, while Rose hadn't been since she was a little girl.

The winding streets were filled with blaring horns and bright headlights. The agent gave clear and concise directions to a neighborhood with brick town houses and apartment complexes. Parking the car on the street, James lead the way into a towering home that looked horridly expensive.

Rose felt awkward trailing behind him, running through the pounding. She shielded her long hair with the black leather coat she'd been wearing. He knocked on the door twice. There was no response. She couldn't believe it when her friend bent over, inconspicuously picking the lock on the front door.

"I thought we were going to meet a friend of yours!" Rose hissed into his ear. He smirked devilishly.

"She's more of an... acquaintance," Bond said back, humor laced throughout his voice as he continued working. The woman didn't see what was so funny.

"So... is she your girlfriend?" Rose questioned, drawing the man's attention from his tedious work.

"No. Not my girlfriend," he chuckled.

After several long minutes, the blonde woman was tired of being out in the rain. Slipping two pins from her hair, Rose pushed Bond aside. Bending down, she began to work swiftly. Within moments, the door opened with a soft click.

"You're the woman of my dreams," the agent deadpanned as they entered the house. Rose somehow managed to punch him, even in complete darkness. She slipped off her muddy Vans and placed them neatly on the mat next to the door. Not caring about the mess he made, her friend trudged into the dark house, knowing exactly where he was going.

Rose sighed exasperatedly when the man reached for a decanter of alcohol on a silver serving tray on top of a wooden cabinet. He helped himself to a glass. He offered one to the blonde woman, ignoring her raised brow. She waved him off.

"How well do you know this woman, James?" Rose whispered, looking around. She noted the abundance of books and lack of framed photos.

"I like to think I know her better than anyone," his accented voice drawled from the darkness.

Moments later, the front door opened. Rose's heart thumped loudly in her chest. The lights turned on. Someone took off their coat. There was a long pause. Then the sound of heeled shoes clicked across the hardwood floor. The steps came closer, until Rose saw the woman. From the shadows, the blonde realized the new woman was in her mid to late seventies and clothed in a sensible black blazer and skirt.

The old woman reached for the crystal decanter. She was about to pour herself a drink when she heard James's glass clink on the dining room table. She gasped, whirling around. Rose waited anxiously, nervous about what the woman would say.

The shock fled from the elderly woman's face at the sight of Bond's shadow, illuminated by the light of the moon that seeped through the delicate white curtains.

"Where the hell have you been?" The woman's accented voice was almost monotone.

_Well. Not exactly what I was expecting..._ Rose thought.

"Enjoying death," the agent replied. He paused before continuing. "007 reporting for duty," he finished, taking a swig of his drink in the shadows.

The white haired woman walked forward and flipped the light switch. Harsh light filled the room, making Rose and Bond blink. The woman's attention turned to Rose.

"Who the hell are you?"

"A friend."

"An American? Your latest conquest, I gather?" she asked, glancing at James, not a trace of humor to be found.

Rose's back straightened instinctively.

"She's pretty, I'll give you that. Where the hell are your shoes?" The woman asked, glaring down at Rose's bare feet.

"Apologies Ma'am. They're at the door. I thought it best not to get your floor dirty," she replied. The older woman looked surprised.

"I like her. I gather she knows everything?" She asked. The agent nodded.

Rose crossed her arms over her chest defensively as the woman looked her up and down. She breathed a sigh of relief when the woman looked back to Bond.

"Why didn't you call?" She muttered.

"You didn't get the postcard?" James shot back, taking all attention off of Rose. "You should try it sometime. Get away from it all. It really lends perspective."

"Ran out of drink where you were, did they?" The woman countered. Rose fought back a laugh.

James ignored her statement. "What was it you said? "Take the bloody shot.""

"I made a judgement call."

"You should have trusted me to finish the job," James accused, walking closer to the woman. The tension was tangibly thick in the air.

"It was the possibility of losing you, or the certainty of losing all those other agents. I made the only decision I could, and you know it."

James shook his head tiredly and placed his glass down on the table. "I think you lost your nerve."

"What do you expect? A bloody apology?" She demanded, purposefully striding forward. "You know the rules of the game. You've been playing it long enough. We both have."

_I would want an apology, if someone shot me off a train, _Rose thought.

"Maybe too long," James replied matter-of-factly.

"Speak for yourself."

"Ronson didn't make it, did he?"

The older woman paused. "No."

A pronounced breath engulfed the dimly lit room.

"So this is it. We're both played out."

"Well, if you believe that, why did you come back?" she asked frankly.

"Good question."

The woman nodded after another moment of silence.

"Because we're under attack. And you know we need you."

James sighed deeply and nodded faintly. "Well, I'm here."

"You'll have to be debriefed and declared fit for active service. You can only return to duty when you've passed the tests, so take them seriously. And a shower might be in order. For both of you," she finished drily, gazing at the two of them. Rose couldn't help but smirk. Apparently she wasn't the only woman who could put James Bond in his place.

"I'll go home and change."

"Oh, we've sold you flat, put your things into storage. Standard procedure on the death of an unmarried employee, with no next of kin," she stated nonchalantly, ignoring the pained look on James's face. "You should've called."

The man scrambled for words, shocked by the news. "I guess we'll find a hotel."

"Well you're bloody well not sleeping here," The woman said, effectively ending the conversation by walking out of the room.

Rose chuckled loudly as she moved to her friend's side.

"She's fabulous. What's her name?"

James paused, looking down at the woman.

"That was M."

* * *

**Teehee... I love M.** **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Now that we're out of the boring bits, it should pick up.**

**Disclaimer: Oc=Mine... I(heart)Q**

* * *

After their chat with "M", James gave her directions to a nearby hotel. A man working for the hotel came around with a giant umbrella and opened the door for Rose. She gave the keys to the Impala to the chauffeur their bags were removed from the trunk and carried quickly inside. The man with the umbrella ushered them into the hotel lobby and out of the pouring rain.

The polished marble floors were slick under their feet. If Rose wasn't so tired, she probably would have appreciated the elegant and expensive taste in decor.

"Name?" A severe looking woman with sleek black hair asked from her place behind the towering reception desk.

"Bond. James Bond."

The woman pursed her thin lips before turning to pull something on a computer screen. When she typed in the name, her almond shaped eyes went wide. Rose glanced up at her friend, but his stoic face revealed nothing.

"We weren't expecting you, Mr. Bond!" The woman scrambled out from behind her desk, teetering on her six inch stilettos. Rose hid a smile behind her hand.

"I would like my usual room, please."

"Of course, Mr. Bond."

The receptionist stood in front of the two awkwardly, as if not knowing what to do next. Her eyes ravaged the agent's muscled form. She had the audacity to lick her bottom lip.

James moved towards Rose, his arm wrapping around her small waist. "We are quite tired..."

The woman blinked.

"Of course. The gentleman by the lift will bring your things to your suite. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bond."

"Pleasure," James replied, shaking hands with the woman. The receptionist slipped a card with scratchy script into his empty hand. She smiled flirtatiously at the man once more before heading back to her desk.

Scoffing, Rose lead the way to the elevator, towing her friend by the hand. She smiled politely and insisted that the tiny man helping take their bags passed over her bags. The employee was all too willing. The bags were so heavy, the poor man was wilting like a flower in the desert. James handed over a few bills. The man accepted them gratefully and scurried off.

Knowing how much Rose feared elevators, the agent took all the bags with him in the elevator. The woman took the stairs two at a time, bounding up to the top floor hastily. The image of a hot shower, fluffy robes and a comfortable bed tantalized the woman's mind.

James granted her access at her soft knock.

"I call shower first," Rose exclaimed, already stripping off her jacket on the way to the bathroom.

James chuckled wryly. "We could always conserve water..."

"Mind out of the gutter, James."

"Can't help it."

After making sure to lock the door, Rose stripped off her dirty clothes. She threw them in a wicker hamper in the corner of the bathroom. She folded her glasses and placed them on the sink counter. There was a marble clawfoot tub in the middle of the room. The bathroom itself was almost the size of the woman's old apartment.

The water felt like heaven. The hot cascade flowed through the woman's blonde hair, streams caressing her breasts and small waist. She stroked expensive oils into her hair and scrubbed the dirt and grime from her tanned flesh. The water at the bottom of the tub ran a disturbing grey color for at least five minutes until it finally cleared. Rose sighed in relief, tossed her hair back, letting the water pour down on her face. She shaved her legs quickly, aware that James was still waiting.

She shut off the water, grabbed a large fluffy towel from a nearby shelf and wrapped it around her. Her hair stretched to her hips. Rose threw the length over her shoulder, combing it through with her dainty fingers. She carefully stepped out of the tub and slipped on her glasses. Feet padding across the smooth floor, she exited the bathroom, a thick cloud of steam following her.

James was stretching on the king-sized, tired blue eyes staring unblinking up at the ceiling.

"Shower's free..." Her voice trailed off. James glanced up at her, eyes far away. Her brow creased. "You okay?"

"Yes. Sorry," he muttered getting off the bed, walking past her and into the bathroom.

Rose sighed. Going through her duffle of clothing, she pulled out a oversized shirt and a pair of checkered boxer shorts. She quickly clothed her lower half, already hearing the water turning off. Thankfully, her naked back was turned when the door opened.

What James saw was enough to shock him out of his reverie. Thick white scars marred the flesh of the woman's back, all the way from her shoulders to just above her rose tattoo. The jagged slashes were accompanied with sporadic scars that were obviously caused by bullets.

Rose slipped her shirt over her head, shrouding his view.

She turned, seeing her friend's look on his face. Her eyes hardened.

"You weren't supposed to see that," she whispered lethally.

"What happened?"

Rose smirked sardonically. "I had a really bad day."

Bond shook his head, watching the woman lay down on one side of the large bed and place her glasses down on the side table. James changed swiftly, leaving his muscled chest bare and slipping on a pair of black boxer briefs.

The agent turned off the lights and sauntered back to the bed. He pulled off several pillows and blankets and moved to place them on the floor.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Sleeping on the floor..."

"Don't be stupid. We can share."

James sighed, too tired to argue.

They both fell asleep quickly.

* * *

Early the next morning, the two friends were awakened by the shrill ring of a telephone. James rolled over and answered it.

"Hello? Yes. Alright, thank you." He hung up the phone. "There's a car waiting to take me to SIS headquarters."

Rose scowled. "What about me?"

"I assume you're coming too," James muttered, sliding out of the bed.

It didn't take long for the two to get ready. They were out the door in less than ten minutes. Rose was dressed in a pair a thick black leggings, navy long-sleeved shirt, leather jacket and a pair of worn combat boots. On the other hand, James was dressed in the same clothes he had worn when they first arrived in England. Rose was armed to the teeth; knives in her boots, Walther tucked into her jacket pocket, and her sniper rifle case was strapped across her body.

"You know you won't be able to get in to MI6 equipped like that..." the agent trailed off at the venomous look on the woman's face.

They rushed down to the lobby and were met by a nondescript man in a tailored suit. He shook James's hand firmly.

"007. I'm here to take you in," the man stated, ushering them to a sleek black Range Rover. The man's gaze finally moved to Rose when the double agent slipped into the car.

"Who are you?" He asked, confusion taking over his features. He looked down at some sort of palm pilot.

"A friend."

"She's with me," Bond's suave voice called from within the car.

Even though the man looked about frantically, he gestured for her to enter the car.

Somehow, despite being the most secure special forces in the world, the convoy allowed the woman to accompany them without another question.

The drive through the city was long and silent. James had his head leant against his window. Rose was staring out her own window, dopey grin stretched across her lips at the sight of the London Eye and Big Ben.

About half an hour later, the Range Rover veered off, entering through a security checkpoint with armed guards. The car followed the curved road descending below ground. Soon, they were entering a bunker-style area. The man in the front seat broke the silence as he turned to face Bond.

"The assailant hacked into the environmental control system, locked out the safety protocols and turned on the gas, all of which should have been impossible. On top of that, they hacked into her files. They knew her appointments, knew she'd be out of the building."

"They weren't targeting her," James stated. "They wanted her to see it." Rose thought that would've been obvious already, but apparently it wasn't. "Where are we, Tanner?" The agent asked, watching as the car drove further underground.

"New digs."

Rose snorted. Finally, the car turned the corner and stopped as they reached another security point; two armed guards in front of the towering black door.

"Well this is ominous..." Rose whispered loudly.

"The old building was declared "strategically vulnerable"," Tanner explained as they exited the car.

"I wonder why?"

Tanner glared at the woman before continuing forward. "He was able to breach the most secure computer system in Britain. So we're on war footing now," he stated pushing open the door. "This was part of Churchill's bunker."

James followed Tanner closely. Before Rose could follow, one of the guards glanced at her, taking in the black case wrapped over her shoulder. He placed a heavy grip on her shoulder, preventing her from moving forward.

"Miss, you cannot enter with any foreign weaponry on your person."

The woman's tone was icy. "Take your hand off of me."

The guard looked over to his partner. He picked up his radio at his side.

"Station Five to Q Branch."

"Go ahead," a young man's voice replied, sounding ridiculously bored.

"We may have a perimeter breach with the Bond convey."

"I can see you over the cameras. Is that... a woman?" The voice asked, baffled.

Rose rolled her green eyes. She reached forward and snatched the guard's radio. He made a futile effort to get it back, but the blonde danced just out of reach.

"Yeah I'm a fucking woman. Do you need me to lift up my shirt to prove it? I'm here to help you morons with your security breech. Let me in, unless you want to look for two new security guards."

The line went dead. Tension crackled through the air as the woman stared down the men. Several minutes later, the arrogant voice came on again. This time there was something akin to nervousness threaded throughout.

"Let her in."

Rose handed the radio back to its owner. Reaching up, she gave a not so friendly gesture to the camera over the door.

"Smart move, asshole," she muttered, storming through the doors. The woman jogged, following the intricate layout of the tunnel. The setting looked more like a bomb shelter than MI6's digs. Finally, the tunnel opened. Bright white lights were in rows on the brick ceiling. Various tables were spread over the floor under the domed roof. Rose hopped down the stairs, gazing around, looking for Bond.

"Looking for something?" The deep voice of a man came from beside her. She glanced over to see a tall handsome man gazing down at her. Honestly, he looked way too young to be out of college, let alone work at a spy organization, but she wasn't one to make those kind of statements. The man was probably a couple years older than her. A pair of thick horn-rimmed glasses were perched on his nose, and tousled chocolate brown hair fell into his gorgeous eyes. Rose shook her head, trying to expel the haze that suddenly crept over her thoughts.

"S-sorry, what?"

The man smirked, crossing his arms over his cream and white argyle sweater.

"Looking. For. Something?" he repeated slowly, a faint sneer distorting his smile.

"Nice sweater," she shot back, mind clearing rapidly at his holier-than-thou attitude. The man's mouth opened and closed, looking somewhat like a fish on land. The blonde tiptoed around the man and advanced towards a desk nearby.

"Hey. Which way did 007 go?"

A small Asian man behind the desk looked up with wide eyes and pointed towards a long corridor at the far end of the room.

"Thanks."

She could hear a commotion behind her as she made a beeline for the hall.

"You can't... You can't just go in there!" The handsome man from before called as he used his long legs to meet her pace.

"Is this how MI6 treats their guests?" Rose chuckled humourlessly. An arm shot out in front of her, blocking her path.

"When rude American's stumble in on our headquarters, threatening to kill security guards, comfort is irrelevant."

The blonde looked up at the handsome man with wide, innocent eyes. "Oh so it's not just me? Now I don't feel as special..." She stood up on her toes, face coming closer to the man's. A bright flush touched the tips of his ears. "Get. Out. Of. My. Way." The hostile hiss of her word made the man retrieve his arm quickly.

"Thanks, handsome," Rose whispered happily, pecking the man's full lips. Using his shock to her advantage, she jogged down the corridor, leaving him behind. She couldn't help turning back once more. "See you around," she called back at him before disappearing through a set of doors.

The man stumbled back, eyes wide behind his horn-rimmed frames. His lips tingled where the beautiful blonde had kissed him.

He staggered back to Q Branch, shock still in full force. When he entered the wing, his colleagues looked up from their work and gazed up at him in surprise. Finally coming out of his stupor, he walked purposefully back to his desk, ignoring the stares on him. He began typing frantically at his computer, pulling up the security feed and isolating the image of the woman. He transferred the image from his computer to the large screen at the front of the room.

"Stop everything you are doing and find me everything you can on this woman. Search all government organizations, use facial recognition software; get me anything. Now."

* * *

**Ohhhh snap! So how did you like their first encounter? :D Let me know! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! I'm not really sure if I'm going to continue this story because I haven't had a lot of interest from readers. Please review and let me know if I should keep going.**

**Disclaimer: Only own my Oc**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Q-Branch was no closer to finding out who the woman was than when she burst into headquarters hours ago.

"Does anyone have anything? _Anything?_" The man at the front of the room pinched the bridge of his nose. His usually calm exterior was shattered by this woman. He was in control of everything in his life. His branch, his computer, his cup of Earl Grey... then this woman showed up.

"I'm sorry, Sir. There was nothing on facial recognition, credit cards, police records... it's as though she doesn't exist, Sir."

Always up for a challenge, Q adjusted his glasses and straightened his shoulders. "Alright, get back to whatever you were doing before." He began tapping at his keys swiftly, hacking into the CIA, FBI, and military databases. They were no match for Q's skill. They took mere seconds to crack, making Q smirk.

Instead of searching for current employees like before, he broadened the search to anyone who'd worked for them in the past, or been used on a contract. It was quick work for the hacker, excluding any men. There was only one woman who'd been loaned out to all three institutions, but there was no picture. Focusing, he hacked into the woman's external profile. His computer screen went black. Q's heart thumped. Then, words lit up his computer.

**LEVEL FIVE: SECURITY ACCESS**

Scowling, the man snatched a custom decryption algorithm from his desk and hooked it up to his computer. Tapping frantically at the keys, he broke in without breaking a sweat. Adjusting his glasses, he looked at the file.

It was empty.

Q rubbed his brow and stepped back.

"Why would you put a level five security clearance on a file that's empty, on a profile of a person that doesn't even exist?" He whispered to himself.

"Maybe they're a ghost." Turning, Q glanced down. His young assistant stood at his side, handing him a steaming cup of Earl Grey.

"What did you say?"

"A ghost. In the system."

The head of Q Branch cocked his head to the side, taking his cup of tea. He looked down at his computer.

The profile on the screen went down.

"Bugger. No, no, no, no!" Q swore, putting down his cup and yanking his cords from his laptop, trying to save the computer. The screen went black.

All of Q-Branch looked up from their work. Their leader flushed with embarrassment as he stood above his software, not knowing what to do next.

He slumped down into the chair behind him, taking a swig of his tea.

* * *

Rose glanced over at James from her place on the hard stone floor. Her knees were up to her chest, fingers wrapped around her Pride and Prejudice.

James was going through his physical performance evaluation. As he jogged on a treadmill, a strange breathing contraption was placed over his face and was hooked up to a monitor nearby. The woman could tell the agent was out of shape just by the readings.

_I suppose that's what happens when your only exercise over the past month is jumping in the sack with every woman you come across._

She chuckled to herself. All judgemental eyes turned to her. The blonde coughed.

"Something funny?"

Rose smiled cheekily. "I was just thinking that James looks like he's in an _Alien_ movie, hooked up to all that shit."

She could tell Tanner was trying to keep his blood pressure in check. "Maybe you should keep those thoughts to yourself."

"You're the one who asked..." She whispered childishly.

"What was that?"

Rose coughed. "Nothing."

There was a long pause. "If you're such great friends with 007, maybe you should come up here and do the same tests he's going through," Tanner smirked. "Keep him company, and all that."

Rose rolled her eyes as she stood. Brushing off her clothes, she walked forwards. "I'm not really dressed-"

"Jones, get the American some bloody clothes!" His anger was in full force. The woman smiled sweetly, following a man out of the room.

Several minutes later, she returned wearing the same sort of blue long-sleeved shirt as James, but wore a pair of loose-fitting black shorts and blue trainers. The shirt was so large that she had to cinched it in with an extra hair elastic that was on her wrist. She had taken all her weapons off and placed them in a pile with her clothes in the other room. The woman felt naked.

When she re-entered the room, her eyes went to a new treadmill beside her friend's. Thankful for the escape from boredom, the blonde hopped up on the machine. She grinned like a child on Christmas morning when they passed her the silly face contraption. Even through the young exterior and childish front, the agents examining the physical criteria could tell the woman had used the mask before. She waved off a man as he came forward to help her, slipping the mask on herself with ease. Rose tied her long locks into a loose bun and fitted the heart monitor under her shirt. The men raised their eyebrows. Then the treadmill started.

The slender woman bounced along happily as the minutes passed, mind slipping away. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard Tanner speaking with James about the security breech.

Even though the men were supposed to be examining 007, they couldn't help but be impressed with the mystery woman. All her levels were much higher than expected, some rivaling those of MI6's most fit agents. She surpassed Bond's results quickly and without much effort.

Half an hour later, they were moved on to sit-ups. Tanner had been debriefing James the entire time so far.

"Q-Branch have been analyzing the picture, but so far nothing." Rose finally tuned into the agent's words.

"Asshole?" She asked as she continued her exercises. Tanner looked at her for a moment before dismissing her quickly.

"There's a general feeling that it's someone from her past. Perhaps when she was running things in Hong Kong. She's got no idea what any of it means."

"You believe that?" James questioned, knowing the answer at the look in Tanner's eye.

The examiners indicated they were finished with their tests and could move on. The two were ushered into another room, this time with a high chin-up bar. Rose grinned up at James, bumping her shoulder against his. He gazed tiredly down at her.

"Ladies first," he muttered, pushing the blonde forward.

Tanner nodded his head, waiting for her to begin. She wiped her hands on her shorts, knowing any moisture on her hands would cause her to slip. Taking a deep breath, she sprinted forward and launched herself up at the bar. Hands latching on, she pulled herself up and held there.

"How many?"

"As many as you possibly can in two minutes."

Rose smiled down at Tanner and began. All of the men in the room watched, utterly flabbergasted, as the woman performed. Like a machine, the blonde didn't waver as her muscles flexed through the actions.

By the end of the two minutes, she was still executing perfectly. Tanner raised a brow, letting her know she could stop. Rose swung herself off the bar, landing lightly on her feet. Glancing around, she saw all eyes on her. The examiners whispered amongst themselves. An Asian man in a white dress shirt and black tie watched her closely.

"I took gymnastics when I was little guys, calm down!" The girl chuckled.

James was next. He certainly had a more difficult time, but tried not to let it show. Tanner continued with the debriefing.

"The truth is, we don't have a clue who took the list, or what they plan to do with it." He paused, hearing the grunts of exertion coming from Bond.

Rose moved forward as James let himself down, eyes showing the true level of his exhaustion. "James?"

Tanner looked between the two. "We can always do this later.

"You know what? Let's," the agent replied, leaning heavily on Rose as she placed an arm around his waist.

With a nod of understanding, Tanner motioned the examiners from the room. They dispersed quickly, leaving James and Rose alone.

As soon as the agent was sure the men were all gone, he slumped heavily. Rose cried out, wrapping her arms around him tighter. "For fuck sakes James!" She grunted, carrying the man over to a chair.

When he was propped up carefully, he looked down at his hands. "I'm played out, aren't I?"

The girl knelt down in front of him and laced her fingers with his. "Come on, you know you're not. You're coming back from a serious injury. It's always hard for the first bit."

"Was it hard for you?" The agent asked, looking up at her. Rose's eyes hardened.

"Yes."

"Why won't you tell me what happened to you? Who you really are?"

"I-I _can't_, James. Honestly, I would if I could. But... I just can't."

He nodded. "You'll tell me one day?"

Rose smiled, placing a hand on the man's cheek. "Of course."

An hour later, they were escorted to a shooting range. Rose sat at a small table, pulling out a book. She was sipping a vanilla spice latté she got from across the street during their break.

James was shooting at the target in front of him as though it were his worst enemy, frustration rising within him as he missed time after time. Rose focused on her book, glasses sliding down her nose. She knew the more attention that the agent had, the more uncomfortable he would be. When the shooting stopped, James came back to the table, throwing down his gun.

Suddenly, someone grasped Rose's shoulder. She jumped.

"It's your turn, Ma'am," the Asian examiner stated, gesturing to a disassembled firearm on the table in front of her. The woman looked up at him and chuckled.

"You guys are going all out to keep me occupied, aren't you?" She laughed as she placed her book down. Her humor evaporated at the serious glint in the man's eye. "You can't be serious! I thought this was all just for fun!" She implored, gazing at each man in turn.

Tanner glanced down at her, lips pressed together in a grim line. "Humor us."

"I'd rather not"

The men waited patiently.

Rose groaned, eyes flying skyward. As she sucked in a deep breath, something changed in her expression. Something cold entered her eyes, steeling her resolve as she leaned forward to begin. The woman assembled the gun with razor precision; like someone who'd had years of training. It took her only moments to finish, finally inserting the clip. From her seat, she aimed and quickly fired eight times. The loud bangs made several of the men jump.

She disassembled the weapon when she was finished, placing the pieces in the exact place they were in at the start.

Rose breathed out delicately and reached for her book and latté.

James snorted in disbelief as he looked at the target. Seven shots were in the head, but they weren't the compact shots of a marksman. The image created in some ways was even more controlled than that. The bullet holes were in the perfect shape of an unhappy face. The last hole was a body shot. All the men winced. The bullet had gone through the target's groin area.

Tanner swallowed before whispering to Bond. "She's funny."

The agent chuckled. "She seems to think she is."

* * *

Tanner ushered James into something akin to an interrogation room. He allowed Rose to watch on the other side of the glass with him. The door opened and a man and woman walked in.

Rose recognized M and greeted her with a smile. The older woman didn't respond in any way, only staring back at her with interest.

The man walked forward, stretching his hand towards her. "Gareth Mallory."

"Friend of James."

"No name?"

"Eh... names are overrated."

The man chuckled, his thin lips smirking. "Indeed."

"Military?" Rose asked, catching him off guard.

"Lieutenant Colonel. How did you-"

"Lucky guess," the girl lilted before turning to see Bond in the conference room. She missed the look that passed between M and Mallory.

"I'd like to start with some simple word associations. Just tell me the first thing that pops into your head." The man muttered, watching as 007 looked around the room in annoyance. "For example, I might say "Day" and you would say..."

"Wasted," James drawled with no small amount of snark. Rose snorted.

The doctor paused and sighed. He looked the agent in front of him up and down. "All right. Gun."

"Shot."

"Agent"

"Provocateur."

"Woman."

"Provocatrix."

"Heart."

"Target."

"Bird."

"Sky."

"M."

"Bitch."

Rose dissolved into laughter at the look that Mallory sent the older woman.

"Sunlight."

"Swim."

"Moonlight."

"Dance."

"Murder."

"Employment."

"Country."

"England."

"Skyfall."

James froze. The young woman behind the glass looked over at M. The white haired woman was holding her breath.

"Skyfall," the doctor repeated. Silence filled the room.

Bond looked as though he were searching for the right thing to say. It was obvious the word caused him unbearable pain.

"Done."

He shot a glare at the glass before letting himself out of the room.

"Well this is going well," Mallory sighed through the awkward tension.

"He's got a point, you know," Rose said after another moment.

"What would that be?" M shot back, arching a questioning brow.

"You are a bitch."

Silence fell. The two women stared off.

A faint smirk curled M's lips. "It's your turn."

Rose laughed. "You don't seem to get it. I don't work for you!"

"No, you don't. But if I can use you to my advantage, I will."

The young woman growled lowly as Tanner pushed her into the interrogation room.

The elderly doctor looked up from the paper on which he was writing. Smiling stiffly, he gestured for her to sit down.

Rose slumped into the chair across from him.

"This is such bullshit," she muttered, fiddling with a bracelet around her wrist. The bracelet James had gotten her from the market.

"And why do you think that," the doctor asked, scribbling down some notes.

The woman raised her hand. "Don't try that 'mind fuck' shit with me. Please, just don't."

The man looked at her over the top of his glasses. "Alright, we'll just do some word associations then. For example, I'd say stars-"

"Burning balls of gas."

The doctor didn't look impressed. "Only one word please. Library."

Rose breathed out, running a hand through her long hair. "Books."

"Pen."

"Un stylo," she lilted in a mocking tone.

"Computer."

"Playground."

"Hacked."

"Bad day." She smirked knowingly.

"Sniper."

Rose looked up, alarmed. She faltered.

"Sniper."

"Job," she finally answered.

"Assassin."

"Paycheck."

"Murder."

"Prison."

"MI6"

"Bureaucrats."

"Home."

There was a beat before she answered. "Nonexistent."

"Q-Branch."

"Assholes."

He paused before writing that one down. "Bees."

"Honey."

"Rose Jamison."

The woman's heart stuttered.

"Rose Jamison."

Moving to stand, the blonde flipped her middle finger at the glass.

"Rose-" the doctor started once more. She glared down at him before interrupting.

"Dead."

She fled from the room.

* * *

**Favorite, follow, and review if you liked it. I really appreciate it. I do read everything and put plot points and characters fans want to see into the story. Also, there are pictures of Rose up on my profile if you want to see my inspiration. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks so much for revie/fav/following. It keeps me writing :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own James Bond characters or Skyfall. **

* * *

They knew. They knew her name.

Her real name.

How...

Did they know everything?

The past she'd been running from for so long was staring her right in the face. Rose flew from the room.

James was sitting on a bench nearby, waiting for her arrival. He was still shell shocked from his own examination. Suddenly, he heard people shouting. Shaking his head, breaking out of his reverie, eyes focusing.

"Rose! Stop!" Tanner's voice shouted from somewhere far away.

Rose was sprinting down the corridor towards him, as if her life were depending on it.

Standing immediately, James called out to her.

"Rose? Rose!"

He could hear her heavy breathing from where he stood. The man reached out to his friend, but she slapped his hand away. He noticed the wild glint in her eye. Knowing she might hurt herself or someone else, the agent pinned her against the wall, trapping her between his arms. She pushed frantically against his chest, her green eyes unfocused.

James brought his hands up to cup her face, ignoring her strikes.

"What happened in there?" he whispered gently.

"I-I c-c-can't... James they know." the words made the man stop.

"Know what?" He couldn't help but be filled with dread.

"Everything."

"How?!"

Rose trembled and finally melted into his embrace. "I have no idea. My external profile was wiped when I was took my extended leave..." she took off her glasses, wiped her eyes in frustration and sighed. "Before I left, all ties between me and the government were erased. A safeguard was put up so I would know if someone tripped the alarm to my profile. If anyone triggers it, a Ghost Virus is uploaded to the hacker's software." Rose paused, swallowing the thick lump in her throat.

James nodded in understanding, knowing not to push her.

"Earlier today, I got a notification that someone had hacked into my file. And the words that the doctor said in there... 'computer', 'hacked'... He said my real name, just to see how I'd react." The woman choked out.

"You must've made someone powerful very angry to do something like this."

Rose laughed sadly and put her glasses back on. "Yeah. Probably whoever's computer my virus attacked..." She froze. "James? What department deals with hacking?"

The man frowned. "Probably Q-Branch. Why?"

The blonde growled, extracting herself from the agent. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

She stalked away furiously.

"You want me to come with you?" Bond called, Rose already at the other end of the hall.

"Nope," she started. "You'd probably stop me from what I'm about to do."

As she disappeared around the corner, James prayed for the unfortunate soul that was about to be on the opposite side of that tornado of fury.

* * *

Q was feeling quite proud of himself.

He had used a spare computer to hack into the woman's file once more, this time making sure he stepped over the virtual wire that had tripped the virus. His main computer was rendered a pile of expensive plastic and sat forlornly on his desk. Q pushed up his glasses before they could slip off his nose and continued typing. The speed at which he wrote up the strings of complex code was mind boggling to anyone watching. Focusing intently, he waited as the code loaded onto the mainframe.

Unexpectedly, Q felt a presence behind him. Turning, he saw M's right hand man, Tanner.

"Can I help you?" the young man questioned, not entirely pleased to be pulled away from his work.

"M wants the profile of 007's new friend."

Q smirked. "She's quite... interesting. Destroyed my computer." he gestured to his deceased piece of technology.

Tanner raised a brow at the sight of the frustrated Q. "She's been in examination for the entire day. How could she-"

"Well, she managed. Years of code; all of it... gone." he paused. "Wait. She's in examination? Why?"

"Somehow her physical performances and marksmanship are unparalleled to anything we've seen. Let's just say, I wouldn't want to make the woman angry." He chuckled.

A noise came from Q's computer. "Alright, we're in..." he leant forward.

Tanner looked over the man's shoulder.

"Oh my god."

NAME: ROSE JAMISON  
AGE: 23  
SPECIALIZATION: SNIPER  
STATUS: DECEASED - KILLED IN ACTION

The woman's picture appeared. She was clothed in a sharp navy suit, green eyes burning into the lens of the camera. Even without glasses, the woman was beautiful. Her hair was much shorter, her complexion was quite a bit paler; but it was definitely their woman.

"H-how?" Tanner stuttered.

"My thoughts on the subject are inconsequential. Would you like me to send this to M?"

Tanner shook his head. "Better not send anything to her computer. Whoever this person is from her past is clever when it comes to computers. Print it off. We'll burn it after." They waited as Q printed the profile. Tanner thanked him and left shortly after.

Sighing happily, the man sipped the rest of his Earl Grey. He closed his eyes. He took a moment, confidence returning from the mishap earlier. Finally, he went back to the computer, and started working on programming the sensor on 007's gun.

The next thing Q knew, there was shouting.

"Who the fucking hell is the head of Q-Branch?"

It was Rose.

The woman marched purposefully into the room, weaving around desks. Computer experts and technicians all around cowered behind their screens.

She looked around, gazing down the full length of the room. Then her eyes met the Quartermaster's. She threw her head back and laughed darkly. "Of course! It had to be you, didn't it?"

Q shifted uncomfortably in his chair as she moved towards him.

"Were you the one who hacked into my files?"

"Leave us," the man called out. Everyone packed up their things and left immediately.

"Were you?!" The blonde repeated, leaning down until her eyes met Q's.

"Yes."

Her fist lashed out, connecting with the man's jaw. He flew back, off his chair, and onto the hard floor. His thick glasses skidded across the floor.

Q was blind without the glasses and completely at the woman's mercy. He groaned as he tried to get up. The ferocious creature knelt next to him, keeping him on the ground with a hard push against his chest.

"You don't know what you've done," she hissed, her nose brushing against the man's as she leant over him.

"I believe, that your Ghost Virus destroyed my most valuable equipment," he breathed out. The man moaned in pain when she sent a harsh blow to his diaphragm.

"For someone so _smart_, you're a complete and utter moron. It's temporary. To scare off small time hackers."

Q frowned as he rubbed his jaw. "Jesus..."

The blonde expelled a sigh and sat back on her haunches. She rubbed her forehead tiredly. "You honestly have no idea the floodgate you've opened." Reaching out, she helped the man into a sitting position. He flinched minutely.

"M requested your profile..."

She chuckled humorlessly while she shook her head. "You still don't get it. Once a door is opened, anyone can come through. Everyone will know that I'm still-"

"-Alive," Q finished, still massaging his bruised jaw. Rose's gaze softened. She reached out and cupped his face.

"They would've found out eventually, I suppose. I shouldn't have hit you. I'm sorry..."

_His eyes are so beautiful_...

"Rose. Rose!"

"Sorry, what?"

"I said, "you can let my face go now...""

He couldn't help but blush as her eyes trailed down to his lips.

She retrieved her hand immediately, embarrassed. "God, I'm s-"

"If you apologize one more time, I'll have to hit you back," he deadpanned. He smiled crookedly at the woman's shocked face, as if he didn't do it often. "I'm kidding, Rose."

She punched his shoulder lightly. They chuckled together.

"You should smile more often," Rose whispered, caught up in the moment. She realized just what she'd said a moment too late. She flushed red, ducking her head as she found the man's glasses and passed them to him. The hacker took them and slipped them on with a smirk.

"I will take that under advisement."

"What the bloody hell is going on in here?"

M.

Q and Rose scrambled away from each other, cheeks roaring rouge as they stood.

"Both of you, in my office. Now." Her posh English accent voice was firm. She raised a brow at the bruise forming Q's jaw before leaving the room in a flourish of intimidation and clicking heels.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Here ya go! Thanks for reading :D**

**Disclaimer: If I owned anything more than my imagination, I would probably would be ridiculously rich. AKA not writing FanFic. lol.**

* * *

"Can you stop that?" The head of Q-Branch hissed at the woman in the chair next to him.

Rose looked at the man in surprise. "What?" she asked in confusion, coming out of her reverie.

"That," he spat out, nodding to her foot which was anxiously tapping on the tile floor, as if it were the spawn of Satan himself. Taken aback, the blonde pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them to her defensively.

They'd been waiting for M in her office for a little over half an hour. As time passed, the man next to her became more and more nervous, eyes darting between the M's empty chair and the exit. A sheen of sweat covered his brow, darkening his messy brown locks. His breathing had increased and his long fingers grasped at his tie, attempting to loosen it.

Rose glanced over at him, eyebrow raised. "Hey, are you okay?"

"F-fine." he stuttered out, hands shaking too much to loosen his tie. His face was void of all color. "I seem to be having a p-panic..." a terrible wheezing noise ripped through his words. Then he began hyperventilating.

Rose leapt to her feet. "Panic... what? A panic attack?" She took in the man's eyes which refused to focus on anything. She reached for the man's tie, but unexpectedly strong hands shoved her away. "I'm just going to make it easier for you to breathe, okay?" she lifted her hands, willing him to calm down. He tried pushing her hands away once more, but the attempt was much weaker. Rose loosened his tie and unfastened the first couple of buttons at his throat. The man's Adam's Apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed.

"It's going to be alright." The woman's voice was soft. "What's your name?"

"...Q," he finally breathed out.

"Q, I'm going to need you to breathe for me okay? You're gonna be fine." She grasped one of his large hands and placed it on her shoulder. "We're gonna breathe together, alright? But I need you to slow yours down to meet mine." The blonde breathed deeply, letting the man feel the pace he needed to reach. It took a while, but Q's respiration slowed until he finally began breathing steadily. Rose let his hand fall from her shoulder, but her slim fingers skimmed down to his wrist, locating his pulse. "You'll be fine. Just make sure that you eat, drink a lot of fluids and get some sleep." Q looked up at her blearily. The dark blue circles beneath his eyes made his handsome face look almost sunken. "When was the last time you slept?" The blonde whispered.

"S-seventy three hours now."

The blonde swore under her breath. "Jesus. Can I drive you home?"

Q did something unexpected. He sat up in his chair and fixed his tie. He wiped his sweaty forehead with a small handkerchief he pulled from his pants pocket. "That will not be necessary." His entire demeanor had changed. The woman regarded him questioningly. Her head snapped up at the sound of the door opening.

M entered, looking pleased. "You did quite well, Miss Jamison."

Rose stood, quirking a brow. "Excuse me?"

"You have passed final evaluation."

"You've got to be joking." Rose looked between M and Q. "That was just another _test_?" No one responded. "You people are ridiculous!" The woman threw up her hands in disbelief. She turned to leave.

Just then, Mallory entered the room, effectively blocking the door.

Rose backed up. "What the hell is all of this?"

M's heels clicked on the tile floor as she made her way to her desk. She sat, perching herself on the chair. "This," she started, "Is the nonnegotiable transfer of Rose Jamison into MI6's control."

The woman's mouth fell open. "Excuse me?! There's no way in hell-!"

"Do not curse in my office," M ordered.

"I don't work for you!" The young woman cried before chuckling humorlessly. She watched as the old woman opened a file folder on her desk. Inside, was a contract. M slid the page forward. A sickening feeling tightened in the pit of Rose's stomach. "Please. Don't do this..."

Mallory stepped forward. "It's already done, Rose."

The woman balled her hands into fists at her sides. It was the only way to stop them from shaking. "I just want to disappear. Please let me leave-"

"You know I can't do that," M started. "If you sign this contract, I promise that no one will find out you are alive."

Rose began pacing. "And if I don't sign?"

M spread her hands calmly. "Some information may just... slip..."

Rose's back went rigid. She stopped. The woman looked over at the young man seated nearby. His gaze was on the floor. "You can't do this!" She cried, stalking forward.

"But we can." M stared up the blonde as she slowly pushed the contract forward.

Rose exhaled shakily. She rubbed her forehead. "H-how long?"

The older woman's lips stretched into an awkward half-smile. "Until the person behind the attack on MI6 is caught."

"Then I can leave?"

"Yes."

"And I won't be followed?"

"I promise that you won't be followed."

Rose hid her face in her hands. "How can I trust you? Any of you?"

M regarded the young woman with a bored look. "You can't."

Silence settled in the room. The woman fell into the chair next to the head of Q-Branch. Her hands were trembling. The choice was impossible. Go back to the past or let her competitors and employers find her. Either way she would be killed.

"Pay for your expertise under our employment is listed on the second page. It should be... satisfactory. A flat has already been located and the lease is under MI6-"

"You planned everything. Didn't you? The moment I set foot in this godforsaken-" Rose whispered, cutting herself off.

Mallory crossed his arms, sitting down on a corner of M's desk. "It really isn't that bad-"

Rose closed her eyes and snorted at the ridiculous statement. "None of you get it, do you?" The room went quiet. "If I sign this, I'm dead. Everyone will come looking for me."

M shrugged. "It is a risk that I have to take."

"A _risk_? It's my _life_!"

"One life verses that of a country." M raised a white brow and pursed her wrinkled lips. "The answer is simple. Sign the bloody contract." The leader of MI6 planted her hands on the tabletop of her desk as she stood.

Rose's eyes met Q's. She pleaded silently. He broke the eye contact swiftly, staring at the brick wall.

"The question is... time. If information of your whereabouts slips, you'll be found in hours, maybe days. Working for us... may grant you more time. Several months, perhaps." Mallory drawled, as if he were talking about the weather. Not the young woman's imminent demise.

The blonde swiped a pen from the desk. Her fingers fumbled with the heavy weight of the writing utensil as she signed her name on the dotted lines. It felt like forever. That one signature... Literally signing her life away. As the black ink fell from the expensive gold fountain pen, tears welled in the woman's eyes. She bit her lip. When she was done, Rose dropped the pen dejectedly; her heart sinking from her chest. M retrieved the contract, looking it over.

Empty. That was the only thing Rose felt.

Empty.

She didn't wipe away the tears that rolled onto her cheeks when she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Alright, everything seems to be in order. Thank you Rose."

The young woman opened her eyes and stood stiffly, sensing her dismissal. She exited the room, not daring to look back.

Abrupt nausea had Rose running into the nearest bathroom. She barely managed to crouch in front of a toilet bowl before she was emptying the contents of her stomach. Bile and stomach acid burned the woman's throat. When she was done, she flushed the mess away. She stumbled to the sinks. The blonde rinsed her mouth and face methodically. Then she looked up. In the glassy, reflective mirror was a pallid, defeated creature. The reflection pushed her dark frames up her nose. Tendrils of blonde hair swirled around the woman's petite features, falling from the bun that was piled on her head.

The reflection turned at the sound of the door opening. "Who is it?"Rose called, hastily turning off the water.

A mop of dark hair and horn-rimmed frames peeked around the corner.

The woman sighed, reaching for paper towels. "What do you want?" she murmured, gazing up at the handsome man as she dried her face.

The man fiddled with his glasses as he entered the woman's bathroom. "I was wondering... if you're alright."

Rose let out a weak laugh. "Why do you care? It's obvious how much you hate me-"

Her words trailed off as the man stalked forward furiously. He planted his palms on the mirrored wall behind Rose. The woman stumbled back slightly until her lower back hit the porcelain sink. Wet paper towels fell from her grip and onto the tiled floor. The hacker's frustrated face was only inches away.

"Is that what you've deduced? That I _hate_ you?"

"Yes."

"What is your evidence?" He asked, raising a questioning brow.

Rose leant forward- their lips were only a hairsbreadth from meeting. "You treat me like I'm worthless. You insult me, hack into my files, bring them to your boss and virtually sent me to my execution. I think _hate _is damned generous."

The long stare that passed between the two was charged with frustration. A strangled groan left the man.

All of a sudden, he swooped down, fitting his lips on hers. Rose gasped as the man's soft mouth moved tantalizingly against her stoic lips. Shock and surprise clouded her thoughts. Finally, she managed to reach her hands up to push against his chest. The man stumbled back.

"I-I apologize." He stuttered. His fingers rifled through his hair anxiously. "That was unprofessional-"

Rose watched the man with wide eyes. Uncontrollable desire filled her as she listened to his deep accented voice. She grabbed the man's tie, pulling him towards her. His eyes grew in surprise. "Just shut up," she whispered.

Then she closed the distance between them. Their lips met.

This kiss was different from the last.

This was frenzied.

Rose's fingers laced in the man's hair, pulling him closer. Like clay, the man's lips fit perfectly with hers. His supple lips were surprisingly demanding as he sucked on her bottom lip, locking their mouths together. They moved together in perfect synchronization. She felt his hand reach up to cup the side of her face, his long fingers playing with the hot flesh at the base of her neck. Her other hand was low on his waist, pulling at his sweater. Her fingers met bare skin as they traveled across lean muscle of his back. She moaned into his mouth as he ran his tongue expertly over the seam of her lips. Rose granted him access, gasping as their tongues fought for dominance. A deep growl rumbled in his chest as Rose bit his full bottom lip. Q pushed the blonde back, pinning her against the cold porcelain sink. He brushed his hips against the woman's belly, electing a gasped moan from Rose. She broke the contact of their lips.

"This must be-" She sighed, finding it hard to form coherent sentences. Q was laving his tongue across her collarbone. "-very unprofessional..." she cried out, gripping the man's hair.

"Mhmm..." He agreed, his hot breath tickling Rose's face as he looked up into her light green eyes. "You're beautiful," he hummed, kissing each of her flushed cheeks. "Artistically speaking, the symmetry of your face is perfect." He pressed his lips to her forehead, nose and jaw. Finally, he kissed the corner of her mouth.

"I never imagined you'd be such an amazing kisser," Rose sighed, looking up into Q's eyes. A slight smile graced his lips as he pulled away from her slightly.

"It's all formulas, angles and statistics. The rest is crazed hormones and attraction." He chuckled at the look on Rose's face. He placed his lips tenderly against her frowning mouth. She sighed in satisfaction as the man extracted himself from her hold. "I should really go. I have a lot of work to finish," the man drawled. "Come by Q-Branch at the end of the day," he finished, gazing at her imploringly. She nodded jerkily, her heart beating wildly from their passionate kiss. Rose watched as Q ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his tie. His swollen lips lifted into a cheeky grin as he opened the door to leave.

"I could never hate you, Rose."

Then the head of Q-Branch was gone.

* * *

***Fanning herself* Holy Lord... That man is sex on legs. You're welcome, my friends ;) **

**I'm tired of people saying that Q is inexperienced. I imagine he would have some kind of formula for that. **

**TEEHEE**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skyfall, but I own Rose and her plotline.**

* * *

Rose watched as the door slowly closed. Her heart pounded with nonsensical quickness against her ribcage.

She turned back to the sink, exhaling heavily. The blonde placed a hand on either side, trying to hold herself up. The lack of oxygen to her brain caused her to sway drunkenly. She glanced up at the mirror.

The woman in the reflection looked as if she'd just been pleasured.

_Deliciously_.

Petal pink lips were swollen; now emanating a blood red. Her hair was all-but destroyed. The bun was messy and had drooped to the base of her neck- most likely because it was used as an anchor for their passionate kiss. Curling tendrils framed her face. Dark, thick-framed glasses were slightly askew on her petite face. Bright green eyes were wide. Pupils had consumed the majority of the iris. The prettiest pink glow was painted across her tanned cheeks.

Rose swore under her breath, cursing Q.

She was now working on contract for MI6, and she looked as though she'd just jumped in the sack with somebody.

The woman hastily turned on the water until it was as cold as possible. She splashed her face until she was gasping for air; body shocked with the sudden frigid temperature. The blush receded quickly. Rose snatched up some paper towels and patted her face dry. She threw them in the waste bin.

"Jesus..."

Her hair was a nightmare.

She attempted to straighten the bun; to fix it somehow.

The woman growled in utter frustration. Finally, she just took the hair tie out. Sun kissed, golden curls spilled around her slight frame, reaching the small of her back. She swiftly combed the thick, unruly locks with her fingers. Rose wetted her hands and gently sifted her fingers through the hair. The water managed to tame the halo of frizz.

There wasn't much she could do about her swollen lips.

Sighing contentedly with accomplishment, the woman looked at herself once more at her reflection. She adjusted the crooked frames on her nose.

Her appearance had significantly improved.

Rose exited the restroom soon after. She followed the maze of stone tunnels back to the central room.

She glanced around for several moments. She spotted James quickly.

He was standing in a waiting room of sorts. Glass windows and a wooden door separated the small area from the open vicinity. He was pacing, completely ignoring the chairs around the perimeter. He glanced at his watch several times.

The agent looked handsome in a crisp charcoal suit. He wore a sky blue shirt under the jacket, and a navy tie. A small matching handkerchief was folded expertly in his breast pocket, bringing out the vibrant blue of his eyes. His shoes were obviously designer and the smoothest leather.

He looked quite... _suave_.

Bond looked to the door as the woman entered the room. Rose noted that his head tilted the smallest amount to the side; as if regarding her with curiosity.

"Well don't you look handsome!" She commented with a grin, reaching to fix his tie.

James grunted, smacking her hands away. "Don't even start."

The blonde held her hands up in surrender. "What? Can't I tell my friend that he looks handsome?"

His eyes narrowed. "Rose-" He started, his tone one of warning.

"Fine, fine," she relented, patted his chest patronizingly.

A companionable silence filled the air between them.

Suddenly, Rose felt James's eyes on her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She rolled her eyes. "It's never 'nothing' when it comes to you, _007_. What's up?"

His blue eyes flickered from her eyes to her lips. "Did someone just snog you?" He asked abruptly.

Rose's heart stopped. She laughed, brushing it off. "Just cause you want to kiss me Bond, doesn't mean I'm doing it with everyone else," she joked, trying to hide her nerves.

"Someone did, didn't they?"

"I-I most certainly... no. No one kissed me."

His observant gaze ran over her body. "You changed your hair, your lips are swollen and red, your clothes are wrinkled-"

"God, James. Just leave it alone!"

"I've snogged enough beautiful women to know what it looks like-"

"Are you calling me beautiful, Mr. Bond?" Rose interrupted, batting her eyelashes coyly.

James growled. "You're not going to give me an answer, are you?"

Rose dropped the act immediately, sensing that she'd won.

"Not a chance."

All of a sudden, the door opened.

A beautiful woman stood in the doorway, a large leather garment bag draped over her slim arm.

Her dark hair was wild and curly, but somehow, she'd found a way to tame it. A white blouse, trimmed in black was tucked into a canary yellow pencil skirt. It was a bold choice for MI6- considering the drab colors Rose had seen so far- but the woman looked fantastic. The colors popped against her darker skin tone.

"She's ready for you," the woman stated, looking at James.

"I'm sorry, have we met before?" The man smirked slightly.

Rose elbowed him in the side. The agent massaged the area subtly. The blonde rolled her eyes at him. She sent the new woman a kind smile before stepping forward to shake her hand.

"I'm Rose."

The woman smiled brightly, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. "Ah. It's nice to meet you. You're the center of gossip, at the moment," she stated with a wink. "You can call me Eve."

There was a breath before anyone spoke again. Eve turned back to Bond.

"I'm the one who should be saying 'sorry'," she lilted in her posh accent.

James stalked forward. "It was only four ribs," he deadpanned, "Some of the less vital organs..." Rose's gaze followed his movement, quirking a brow. He passed Eve, whispering in her ear. "Nothing _major_..." He finished, exiting the room.

Eve gestured for me to follow them.

"Not enough excitement in Istanbul?" He asked, placing a hand in his pants pocket as he strolled easily.

"I've been reassigned," she stated. "Temporary suspension from field work."

"Really?" James asked sarcastically.

"Mmm." She hummed in validation. "Something to do with killing _007_."

Rose watched as Eve's towering heels clicked on the cement floor.

"Well, you gave it your best shot," he quipped.

"That was hardly my best shot!" The woman scoffed.

"Not sure I could survive your best."

"I doubt you'll get the chance."

"Well, do me a favor, will you? If they do ever let you back out there," he paused, turning to face Eve. "Warn me first."

Eve smiled. "I'm assisting Gareth Mallory in the transition, and then I'll be back in the field."

Rose couldn't help but snort. Both of the agents turned to her. She waved a hand with a grin. "Nah, just ignore me. You guys are doing fantastic."

They turned back to face each other, completely ignoring my outburst.

"That's what you want?" James asked kindly.

"Of course!" Eve assured, looking the man up and down as if the question was absurd.

"It's not for everyone-"

From the corner of her eye, Rose watched as Tanner descended a staircase to their right. He spotted us as he entered the room.

"Ah, _007. _It's this way," the man stated, gesturing to the stairs.

James turned back to Eve. "In your defense, a moving target is much harder to hit," he drawled with a smirk. He leaned over and kissed my cheek softly. "See you later, Rosie," he whispered before moving to follow Tanner.

"Then you better keep moving," Eve said with a saucy grin.

"No... please don't call me that... I swear to God, I break out in hives when people call me that. It's disgusting!" Rose called after him.

She'd always hated that nickname.

"Don't take the Lord's name in vain, Rose!" He shot back with a wave before following after Tanner.

Rose pushed her glasses up and crossed her arms. "That man is a goddamned pain in my ass."

Eve smirked down at me. "I know how you feel."

"It was a good shot, you know. I pulled out most of the bullet fragments myself." She paused. "Just make sure that next time, you hit the right person," she whispered to the taller woman, lips stretching into a smirk.

Eve rolled her eyes, but didn't respond.

"You like him, don't you?" The blonde asked unexpectedly. The English woman's jaw dropped with an audible _pop_ before closing her mouth tightly.

"Of course not."

"You do. I can tell."

"Well-"

"Ah! See? I knew it!" Rose pumped her fist in victory.

Eve blushed. "I gathered that you two were seeing each other..."

"Nah, we're just friends. But if you like him, you should tell him. Ask him out for a drink."

Eve looked at the staircase James had disappeared up, completely absorbed in her thoughts. "I imagine any possible feelings he had for me were decimated when I shot him."

Rose waved off the comment. "Eh, that shouldn't matter. You were following through on a shit order. It's not really your fault."

Eve raised a brow, shifting on her tall heels. "Would _you _have made that shot?"

The blonde paused. "I'm not sure."

"You would've. I saw your test scores," the woman accused, placing a manicured hand on her hip.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I shot the target in the groin and gave him an unhappy face. Any agent-"

"Your accuracy was rated one hundred percent," Eve deadpanned.

Rose stopped. "What?"

"No agent has ever received a perfect score before. There is always room for improvement-"

"But I wasn't even trying!" The blonde cried, green eyes widening. The words flew out before her brain had filtered them.

"See!" Eve chuckled, gleeful that she'd caught the woman in a lie. "I knew it!"

Rose sighed as the Englishwoman threw her words back at her.

"I'm a trained sniper, Eve. It's my specialty," she admitted.

The agent nodded in understanding. "Some of the rumors are saying you're a contract killer. Is that true?"

"I'm not going to dignify office gossip with any sort of response," the younger woman replied with a smirk.

"Were you an assassin?" She tried again.

Rose exhaled patiently, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Eve raised her hands in defeat. She looked down at the garment bag over her arm.

"Oh, I almost forgot! M wanted me to bring this for you."

She passed the leather bag to the blonde.

Rose moaned, as if she were being tortured. "This better not be a evening gown..."

Eve laughed at the younger woman's antics.

Moments later, the blonde was being shoved into the gym changing rooms. She was instructed to change.

With an exasperated sigh, Rose stripped out of the training outfit MI6 had provided for her. She zipped open the bag.

Inside was a suit. It was navy and exuded... class.

The woman slipped all the items on. The blouse was white and made of expensive silk. The pencil skirt was much like Eve's; it was more like a second skin than a skirt. She tucked the blouse into the skirt with a sigh. Finally, she slipped on a tailored navy blazer. The back was pleated and feminine.

She exited the change room, twisting her hair into a sleek bun.

Eve, who had been leaning against a set of lockers, examining her nails, stood as soon as Rose exited. She let out an appreciative whistle. She walked forward and handed the blonde a pair of black patent leather stilettos.

Rose flushed, slipping the shoes on. She stood at least four inches taller than before. She scratched the back of her neck nervously. "Uh what would you like me to do with the-"

"Oh just leave them in there. Someone with come to get them." The older woman stated, motioning the blonde forward.

"I feel like a Barbie..." Rose grumbled.

"Sorry about that. M wants you to look the part, though."

The blonde frowned. "Part of what?"

"An MI6 operative."

Rose said nothing to this.

"Now come here. You need some makeup-"

"No way," Rose interrupted. "I don't really do the makeup... thing."

Eve rolled her eyes. She walked to a locker and pulled out a cosmetics bag. "Come on, Rose."

The blonde shook her head vehemently. "No. There is no way I'm painting my face to please M."

"Please?" The agent gazed pleadingly at the woman.

Rose looked at Eve for a long moment. "You know what _fine_. But only this once, alright?"

Eve grinned. "Whatever you say."

After twenty minutes of torture, Eve finally claimed to be finished. She placed the last of the eyeshadow pallets and brushes back in her bag.

When Rose turned to the mirror, she was shocked.

A brightening concealer had been placed under her eyes, making them appear awake and healthy. Since her skin was already flawless and sun kissed, Eve decided that there wasn't a point to applying foundation, bronzer or blush. A light cream shade of eyeshadow had been applied to her eyelids. A deep shade of purple had been placed in the crease of the eye, serving as a beautiful contour for her pale green eyes. A thin line of black liquid liner and mascara had been applied strategically, making Rose's eyes look large and stunning. The look was completed with a berry-hued tint on the lips. Eve had wanted to apply lip gloss, but Rose had threatened to shoot her.

She looked... beautiful.

"Perfect," Eve breathed.

"Thanks. I guess..." The blonde grumbled. "This doesn't mean I like makeup." She raised an accusing finger.

"I wasn't insinuating that at all," the agent hummed, barely managing to hold back a laugh. "Come. I gather that James has finished his meeting with M and Mallory."

Rose hopped off the bathroom counter and followed Eve back into the central room. They walked up the staircase, leading the two women back to M's office. Eve knocked on the door. M waved them in without looking up. James was seated in one of the chairs across from her desk. He was glaring at a small porcelain pug, its back was painted like the Union Jack. The older woman allowed the blonde to enter first.

Rose frowned. "You're not coming in?"

"I better get back," Eve stated, smiling reassuringly. "Good luck."

"Thanks."

The door closed. The young woman sighed.

M finally looked up. "Ah. I see you've changed."

"I did," she confirmed.

M looked her up an down, appraising her. "Good. This is much better."

Rose stepped forward. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I'd rather not be manhandled like a doll. If I'm going to work for you, I will wear what I deem necessary for my work. I'm not going to _prance_ around in high heels, just to fit the image you'd prefer."

Her gaze fell on Bond. Even with his back to her, she could see his cheek was lifted in a smirk.

M pursed her lips, drawing the skin to wrinkle around her mouth. "Fine."

The sound of the door opening broke through the tension between the women. Mallory entered.

"_007_, Gareth Mallory," she introduced.

"I hope I haven't missed anything. The PM does prattle on in a crises. Bond."

James stood, and the two men shook hands.

"Mallory."

The men sat. Rose watched them from the shadows, leaning up against the brick wall.

"I've just been reviewing Bond's tests," she announced to Mallory before turning to the other man. "It seems you've passed... by the skin of your teeth. You're back on active service."

Rose raised a brow. She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Congratulations," Mallory granted, smiling stiffly.

"Thank you," James replied, standing and moving to the door. "I'll, um... I'll be outside."

Rose pushed herself from the wall and walked over to him. He took in the sight of her for the first time. The blonde noticed how his blue eyes flashed almost imperceptibly.

"I know," she hissed. "I look stupid."

"Quite the opposite, actually."

Rose flushed pink.

"I only have one question," Mallory stated, interrupting the moment. "Why not stay dead?" James turned completely to face the man. "You have the perfect way out. Go and live quietly somewhere. Not many field agents get to leave this cleanly."

James glanced down at the woman next to him before replying. "Do you get out in the field much?"

"You don't need to be an operative to see the obvious. It's a young man's game." The two men shared a tense look before Mallory stood to continue. "Look, you've been seriously injured. There's no shame in saying you've lost a step. The only shame would be not admitting it until it's too late."

James exhaled tiredly. Rose reached to take his hand, trying to give him some sense of comfort.

"Hire me or fire me. It's entirely up to you."

M cut in quickly. "If he says he's ready, he's ready."

Mallory turned to fix his cold stare on the old woman. "Perhaps you can't see it, or maybe you won't."

"What exactly are you implying?"

"You're sentimental about him."

M looked at the man in outrage. "As long as I'm head of this department, I'll choose my own operatives."

There was a long pause before Mallory spoke again. "Fair enough." He moved to exit the room. He passed by James.

"Good luck, _007. _Don't cock it up."

He left the office, leaving behind a cloud of tense air.

Rose squeezed James's hand once more before releasing it. She noticed Tanner look around awkwardly from where he was seated behind a small desk.

"We analyzed the shrapnel fragments. You're lucky it wasn't a direct hit, or it would've cut you in half-"

The young woman arched a questioning brow, glancing up at her friend. "Fragments?"

James gazed at her sheepishly.

"You mean the fragments I couldn't remove from your wound because they were too close the muscle?!" Rose cried angrily, smacking the man's arm. "You're such a moron!" She slapped him upside the head. "There's a very good reason why I couldn't get it out in the first place! You could've severed the nerves!" She hit him once more. "Idiot!"

He had the decency to wince. "Sorry..."

Rose rolled her eyes as she turned to face Tanner. His jaw had dropped while watching the two. He quickly shut his mouth when he saw that the woman's firey gaze had settled on him.

"Um... It's a depleted uranium shell. Military grade."

The young woman walked forward at the sound of the familiarity of the piece of equipment. She crossed her arms over her chest. She heard M advance at her right.

"Hard to get, extremely expensive, and only used by a select few," Tanner explained, typing on the keyboard of his laptop. The image change to three men.

Rose inhaled sharply.

M looked to her. "Do you know them?"

The blonde nodded stiffly. "The first goes by Patrice, then there's Ali and Gregor. They're the best."

James brushed shoulders with her, pointing to the first man. "It's him."

Tanner turned to Rose, gazing at her in awe. "Patrice. He's a ghost. No known residence or country of origin."

"He was born in Angola," Rose hummed quietly. All eyes turned to her.

"So how do we find him?" James asked, turning everyone's focus back to the screen.

"Well, luckily, we still have one or two friends left in the CIA. They're after him for the Yemeni ambassador's murder, and they're getting close. Intel is he's going to be in Shanghai in two days time, most likely on a job."

M turned to James. "You're to go there and await further instructions. If he turns up, he's yours. Find out who he works for and who has the list. Then terminate him, for Ronson."

"With pleasure," he replied immediately. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

M paused, as if she were thinking about his words. Finally she shook her head. "No." There was an tense pause. "Report to the new Quartermaster for your documentation. He hasn't quite finished setting up shop yet, but Tanner will put you two together. Good luck."

"Thank you."

"_007_. You are ready for this, aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am."

James placed his hand on the small of Rose's back, ushering her out of the door.

"Quartermaster?" She questioned as the two descended the stairs.

"Would you like to come with me to meet him?"

"Sure," the woman replied with a smile.

James didn't release his arm from around her and she didn't pull away.

"You look stunning, Rose."

The blonde flushed. "Knock it off, James."

"What have I done wrong now?"

"You're staring at me again." Rose smirked, looking up at her friend. They'd reached the central room. They leaned against the wall and waited for Tanner.

"When something is worth staring at, my dear, it's a disservice _not_ to look." The agent grinned cheekily.

Tanner arrived soon after.

The car pulled up to a curb. A large fountain could be seen in the plaza. People milled throughout.

Tanner turned to us. "Alright, you'll have to walk from here. Good luck."

The couple of friends exited the car and walked towards the large building. They walked through the black gates.

"What is this building?" Rose asked as they ascended the stairs.

"The art museum."

"Ah."

James opened the large door for her.

"And they say that chivalry's dead..." She gazed up at him with a grin. The agent looked skyward before they entered the line to pay for their tickets.

"Forty pound, fifty," the young man drawled from behind the desk, ringing up their tickets.

James reached for his wallet.

"You are _not_ paying for me. If a man pays, then it's automatically a date," Rose protested, putting her hands on her waist.

"Then consider it a date."

James pulled out a sleek credit card and gave it to the man before she could comment again.

"J-James-!"

"Not a word," he exhaled. He took the tickets from the man and thanked him.

"No problem man," he hummed. His beady eyes looked Rose up and down. "If you'd rather go out on a date with me, I'm off at six."

She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm fine, thanks."

The kid laughed. His voice cracked as he stared at the woman's slight cleavage from behind the desk. "Yeah you are..."

James wrapped a protective arm around her waist, snatching his credit card back. "Watch yourself..." He warned, glaring coldly.

The teenager raised his hands. "Whatever, man."

The agent steered the young woman to the entrance of the exhibit.

They walked slowly through the gallery, pursuing the various paintings.

After what felt like hours, Rose stopped and grabbed onto James's shoulder.

"God these shoes Eve gave me are killing me..." She winced, imagining the blisters that were going to form from the stilettos.

James barely managed to hid the mirth from his face. "Do you need to sit down?"

Rose nodded gratefully. He helped her onto the leather bench in the middle of the room. She sighed, pleased to finally be off her feet.

"These things are like deathtraps," she hissed, massaging her ankles. She bent down, inspecting her feet to make sure she wasn't bleeding all over the polished floor.

The man sighed. He turned his gaze to the painting in front of him.

He turned as he felt a presence at his right. A young man slid onto the bench, not looking away from the painting facing them.

"Always makes me feel a little melancholy... A grand old warship being ignominiously hauled away for scrap." He exhaled sullenly. "The inevitability of time, don't you think?" His attention turned to Bond momentarily before looking back at the painting. "What do you see?"

"A bloody big ship. Excuse us," he linked his arm in Rose's, pulling her up to her feet roughly before she could react. He let go, quickly walking forward to the next painting.

One of her heels teetered, not completely on.

"James!" She cried, feeling her word turn as she began to fall. She closed her eyes, cursing her shoes and the inevitable pull of gravity. Her stomach lurched.

The impact never came. Her eyes slowly opened.

Strong arms had wound around her waist, saving her from her introduction to the hard floor.

"Rose?"

The blonde gasped, looking up at the man's handsome face. His glasses were slightly askew. His brown locks were still tousled from their meeting earlier in the washroom.

"Q?" She could believe her eyes.

The young man lifted the woman to the bench. He sweetly took her heels off for her. She couldn't help the smile that lifted the corners of her lips.

"Thank you..." She sighed, biting her lip.

The sight of the man caused memories of earlier in the day to cycle through her mind. Heat pooled in her belly.

"It's not a problem," he hummed. His eyes watched the movement of her lips. He caught himself, a light blush touched his cheekbones and his ears.

Their faces were so close, they could taste each other's breath.

"What's going on here?!"

James's accented voice pulled the couple from their reverie. Q glanced at the older man, a perturbed expression on his face.

"_007..._ I'm you're new Quartermaster."

Rose's brow creased. "You're the Quartermaster?"

"What did you think 'Q' stood for?" He quirked a brow at her.

The blonde shrugged.

"You must be joking..." Bond exhaled in irritation. "Have you met before?"

Rose blushed at the look James's calculating blue eyes had as he took in the two. Her reaction was answer enough.

"Why, cause I'm not wearing a lab coat?" He asked drily, ignoring the man's question.

"Because you still have _spots_," James spat back.

"_James!_" Rose hissed, slapping the agent upside his head. He ducked, wincing.

"My complexion is hardly relevant."

"Well your competence is," Bond retaliated, rubbing his head.

"Age is no guarantee of efficiency."

"And youth is no guarantee of innovation."

"I'll hazard I can do more damage on my laptop, sitting in my pajamas, before my first cup of Earl Grey, than you can do in a year in the field."

The testosterone in the room made Rose exhale heavily. She crossed her arms.

"Oh, so why do you need me?"

"Every now and then, a trigger has to be pulled."

James turned to Q. "Or not pulled. It hard to know which in your pajamas."

The two men sized each other up.

_Boys_, Rose thought with a sigh.

"Q," James finally sighed, holding out a hand.

"_007._"

Rose rolled her eyes at the antics of the men.

"Ticket to Shanghai. Documentation and passport."

"Thank you."

"And this." Q pulled a slim, black box from his large raincoat. James opened it. A handgun sat inside. "Walther PPK/S 9mm short. There's a micro-dermal sensor in the grip. It's been coded to your palm print, so only you can fire it. Less of a random killing machine and more of a personal statement."

"And this?" James asked, motioning to a small square indent in the container.

"Standard issue radio transmitter. Activate it and it broadcasts your location. Distress signal." James tried it out before turning it off and placing it carefully inside the container. "And that's it."

"A gun... and a radio..." _007 _drawled. Disappointment oozed from his pores. He closed the box. "Not exactly Christmas, is it?"

"Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don't really go in for that anymore." He stood, gazing down at the agent. "Good luck out there in the field. And please return the equipment in one piece." He turned to walk away. "Rose, if I may have a word?"

James shot a glance at the woman as she stood. She hooked her shoes in her fingers lazily and followed after the Quartermaster, bare feet padding across the waxed floor.

They had only walked several feet before Q spun around. He pulled the blonde flush against him; his hand fisting the back of her blazer. He swooped down and locked his lips over hers. Like kissed her like a man possessed. His other hand cupped the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Rose gasped. This gave him the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss.

Just as soon as it had started, the Quartermaster pulled away.

"_007 _needs to learn that there's one woman on this earth that he cannot have." His heated whisper brushed against the side of her face.

Rose shivered. "He doesn't feel that way about me," she stated, pulling away from the man.

"I'd beg to differ. A woman of your beauty has surely caught his attention by now."

The woman flushed red. "Q..."

He placed a sweet peck to her lips before stepping back. "I will be busy tonight with work. I do hope that I will see you tomorrow, though."

Rose nodded numbly. "S-sure."

"Goodbye, Rose."

He sent her a genuine smile before he left.

Rose stumbled back to James in shock. The woman adjusted her glasses, falling back onto the bench.

An awkward silence settled between the two.

"Well..." Rose breathed, attempting to fill the quiet.

"So I gather you've met before," Bond said, raising a humorous brow in his friend's direction. "Ah... I suppose you two met this morning-? I _knew _you kissed somebody-"

Rose growled and reached over smack him upside the head once more.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! Pics are up on my profile! I also write Avengers and Lord of the Rings fanfics if you want some extra reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello friends! I hope you're all enjoying the story :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skyfall. I do own Rose though. **

* * *

The drive back to the hotel was awkward.

Silence fell between James and Rose. The agent found it necessary to continuously clear his throat; adding to the tension.

"So... what do you think of Q?" The woman asked as the car pulled up to the hotel.

James smirked. "He's...young..."

The blonde rolled her eyes.

Just before they exited the car, the driver swiveled to face the agent. "I was told to wait here for you, Mr. Bond. You were to be given thirty minutes to pack any belongings needed for your trip. I will then drive you to the airport."

Bond nodded in understanding. "Thank you."

The driver acknowledged the response with a nod.

Rose sighed delicately. "I wish you didn't have to go."

The man bumped her gently with his shoulder before opening the car door. "Come now, I will be back before you have time to miss me."

The agent walked around the car and opened the woman's door chivalrously.

A frown creased her brow. Her feet were still sore from the monstrous stilettos Eve had forced her into. She picked up the shoes, preparing to exit the car.

James exhaled. With an unexpected swiftness, his hands slipped under Rose when she wasn't aware, and lifted her into his strong arms.

The woman cried out. "What the hell-! James, put me down!"

The man just shook his head. "Not a chance. I can't have your feet suffer-"

"I'm going to ruin your back!"

James paused for a moment as the doorman opened the large gold doors for the couple with a courteous smile.

"You are incredibly light, if that's what you're insinuating. Now stop complaining and enjoy the special treatment."

She closed her mouth immediately. With a sigh, she looked up at him.

His blue eyes were tired. Lines creased in his forehead and near his mouth.

His eyes turned to her, catching the woman watching him.

James's thumb rubbed comforting circles on her bare calf. "Nothing will happen, Rose. I promise."

"You don't know that..." She sighed, leaning her head against her friend's shoulder.

"Yes, I do. And I also know that I'll be careful so I'll come back to you unharmed."

Rose smiled softly. "If you get shot again, I'm not pulling out the shrapnel."

"Then I will try my best not to get shot."

The blonde laughed. "You better..."

The woman at reception stood eagerly as she saw James and got out from behind the desk, smoothing her miniscule pencil skirt.

"Mr. Bond!" She called with a wide grin.

"Dear Lord," James hissed, pulling Rose closer to his chest.

Rose chuckled at his actions, but didn't respond.

The severe looking woman looked different. Ever since the couple had stayed in the hotel, the receptionist had changed her appearance. No longer was her lack hair in a bun, but it was let down around her shoulders. She'd attempted to curl it, but her hair hadn't taken the heat; resulting in limp waves. Red lipstick had been applied heavy-handedly to thin lips. Black liquid took up most of the space of her lids.

Rose bit her lip to hid her laugh as they passed the woman.

James nodded professionally to her.

The woman sighed dreamily, only seconds away from melting into the polished marble floor.

The friends passed quickly and reached the elevator without much trouble.

Once the doors had closed, James sighed heavily, obviously relieved. The blonde patted his arm comfortingly.

"I think she dressed up for you," Rose grinned, adjusting her frames.

James rolled his eyes skyward. "Just press the bloody button, Rose."

She did what he asked, pressing their floor number.

Once they reached the room, James deposited his friend on the bed.

"I'm going to take a shower, then I'll get going," the agent hummed.

The woman grumbled, stripping off her blazer. The agent smirked. He leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss against her temple. The act made Rose's lips curl up at the sides.

"Shower, mister," she ordered.

The agent nodded dutifully and turned into the bathroom.

As soon as the shower turned on, Rose laid down the bed and rolled onto her side. She cradled her head with the side of her arm. The smile that graced her lips drifted away. A troubled look replaced it, reflecting the line of her thoughts.

_What if he doesn't come back? What if the invincible James Bond gets tortured, or even killed?_

Suddenly, Rose felt a tear roll down her cheek. The liquid dropped onto her arm.

Once the floodgates opened, it was virtually impossible to force them away. Uncontrollable sobs wracked through the woman's petite frame. The tears fogged up her large glasses, which had begun to slip down her nose. She cried over the fact her friend may not come back. She also was faced with the reality of what had occurred that morning. She'd been literally blackmailed into working for MI6.

She felt warm arms fold around her. A muscled chest pressed against her back. Rose shook with the force of her sobs. Hot lips kissed the back of her neck where her hair had fallen away.

"I'll be fine, Rose."

"I-it's not just that James. M forced me to sign this c-contract... I'm working for MI6 now."

She felt his rough hands turn her over.

"What did you say?" The agent asked, not believing his ears.

"M. She blackmailed me into signing my services to MI6 until this terrorist attack is resolved." Rose whispered, wiping her tears away.

James, now dressed in a black suit, retracted his arms in shock. "She didn't-"

The blonde laughed sardonically. "Oh but she did. Offered me money and everything. I guess it didn't really matter what I said either way. She threatened to reveal my whereabouts to my competitors and former employers."

"Bloody hell..."

"Yeah."

Bond wiped his face tiredly, getting up from the bed. "I'll have a word with her once I return from Shanghai, alright?"

"I can take care of myself-"

"If this is how M is treating my friends, then I need to speak with her, Rose."

Rose sighed but nodded tiredly. "Oh, she said she's putting me in an apartment, so I'll try to move your things in for you."

James grinned, grabbing a small suitcase and duffle bag. "That would be perfect. You still want to live together?"

"Why not. I need someone to show me around London."

The man raised a brow. "I see."

"Just as long as you don't bring over a different girl woman every night, I think it'll be great."

The agent placed a hand over his heart. "I'm wounded that you think so little of me, my dear."

Rose rolled her eyes. She jumped to her feet and rushed into her friend's arms.

He dropped his duffle in surprise, catching the woman around the waist.

"Be safe, James," she whispered, pressing her lips to his cheek.

"Of course."

The friends pulled away. Moments later, the agent was gone.

Rose fell back onto the bed, not bothering to wash the makeup off her face or changing out of her new outfit. She was asleep in moments.

* * *

_She was unbuttoning her satin blouse. Her fingers slid to the small buttons that lined the front. One at a time, she slid the buttons from their holes. _

_The room was pitch black, inhibiting her vision._

_"Slowly." A voice hummed from behind her. The deep baritone of the man's voice caused her to shiver. The hot breath disturbed her hair, which was swirling around her like a curtain all the way to her waist. _

_Rose paused. She inhaled shakily as she stopped her ministrations. It took all of her willpower not to turn around. All her body wanted was to throw the man down so she could have her wicked way with him. _

_"Kiss me... Touch me..." She begged._

_ The line of a muscular body pressed tight against her back. The deep rumble of laughter that escaped the man shook through the blonde's small frame. A strong arm snaked around her waist. A large hand splayed it's slender fingers across her belly; spanning from hip bone to hip bone. The touch sent a jolt of electricity through the woman, who gasped. The hand pressed her body flush against the hard line of a male body. The protruding length of the man's arousal pressed into the small of the blonde's back. _

_"I am touching you..." The voice whispered. _

_"Please, kiss me..."_

_The chuckle resurfaced. "Patience. I want you to remove your blouse. Slowly."_

_Rose quivered, raising her hands back to the buttons of her shirt. _

_She did as the man requested, slowly unfastening the last of the small buttons. _

_The hand on her lower stomach retracted, slipping the silky garment from her shoulders. The blouse fluttered through the air, finally pooling between them on the ground. Only a lacy white bra covered her breasts. _

_Skilled fingers pulled down the zipper at the back of her skirt. The black material joined the blouse on the ground. Strong arms lifted her off the ground, erasing the need for the woman to step out of the skirt. _

_Rose gasped as her feet touched the ground. _

_She was only clothed in lacy black panties and her bra. On her feet, she was still wearing towering stilettos. _

_The animal within her barely managed to stay in its cage as the large hands manhandled her. She could feel heat pool between her legs. _

_"Please..."_

_"Patience, love."_

_The hands ghosted over her shoulders, brushing her blonde hair over her shoulders. Rose cried out as hot lips pressed against the flesh behind her ear. She melted immediately into the man's embrace. Her head lolled on his chest. The man towered over her. His lips moved to her ear, nibbling the lobe gently._

_"What are you thinking about, Rose?" The deep, accented voice asked. _

_"I'm thinking about you inside me," she breathed. _

_The man's hips bucked into her back. "Where do you want me, Love?" _

_She gasped at the intimate contact. "Everywhere..."_

_"Oh I will have you everywhere, I promise." The voice vowed. A large hand ran across the woman's bare collarbone. "But where do you need me, Rose?"_

_The blonde tried to take the hand, move it down to where she needed him most. _

_The man chuckled, his hand firm against her shoulder, not letting her pleasure herself with his hand. "So eager..."_

_ She let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, I'll do it myself then." _

_As soon as her hands attempted to trail south, a strong hand had shackled both her wrists. _

_The voiced tsked. _

_Rose felt the sharp bite of teeth against the sensitive skin where her neck meets the shoulder. _

_"You're so very naughty, Rose."_

_Before the man could say anything else, a piercing noise shattered the moment. _

The shrill ring of the hotel room telephone pulled Rose from her dreams and chances of pleasurable kisses and unbridled passion.

Rolling over, she lifted the phone blearily.

"Hello?"

"Good morning Rose. I'm here to take you into the office today."

"Tanner?" She asked, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She searched for her glasses by patting the bed blindly. She slipped them on, clearing her throat with a sleepy cough. She looked at the clock.

_6: 23 AM_

_DEAR LORD..._

"Yes. Please pack up all your things, because we will be going by your new apartment first."

"Alright. Could you give me like, ten minutes?" The woman turned and caught her reflection in the mirror. "Make that twenty," she groaned before hanging up the phone.

* * *

Rose had everything packed in her duffels and leather side bag.

She spotted the black car immediately. She opened the door and slid in, bringing her things with her. Tanner looked at her in the mirror as the woman finally strapped herself in.

"Good morning, Ms. Jamison."

"Hey Tanner."

He watched her for several moments. "Would you like the air conditioning on?"

The blonde frowned. "Why?"

"You look quite flushed, if I may say so."

Rose's blush intensified. Her dream had painted her cheeks the brightest possible shade of red. "I'll just open the window, if that's alright."

"Of course," he responded, smiling tightly.

The car pulled away from the curb and drove into traffic.

"If I may ask, Miss, why do you have so many things?" Tanner pondered, turning to face her once more.

"This is everything I own," Rose replied, watching the buildings fly past.

"I see..."

The drive was quiet after that.

They arrived at a towering apartment complex no more than ten minutes later.

Tanner opened the door for the woman. She smiled softly at him before glancing up at the building.

The size of the glass skyscraper was intimidating to say the least.

Rose turned back to Tanner who was removing her bags from the backseat. She moved to help him.

"I can do it, Tanner, it's alright."

"I'm under strict orders to help you move into your apartment- in anyway needed."

The blonde chuckled, taking her bags from the man. "Honestly, I'm used to lugging bags and equipment around."

"When you were in the military?" The man asked, venturing for an answer.

Rose rolled her eyes, hoisting the bags up on her shoulder. "You guys never quit, do you?"

Tanner accompanied her up the stairs to open the doors. "Just curious."

They walked through the lavish parlour. "Everything you need to know is in my file, Tanner."

The man nodded almost sheepishly. "Yes, Rose."

They entered the glass elevator. Tanner pressed the button for the highest floor. The blonde raised a brow. "My room's on the top floor?"

"Yes ma'am."

Rose whistled in awe. She watched as the buildings grew smaller as they rose thousands of feet in the air in the glass elevator. She was thanking her lucky stars that she'd never been afraid of heights.

Finally the elevator stopped. Tanner motioned for the American to exit first. She nodded in thanks. There was a long hallway. At the end was a solitary black door. Rose shot a strange look at the man as he produced a key from his pants pocket and unlocked the door.

"Your flat, ma'am."

The door swung open.

"Oh my Lord..." Rose covered a hand over her gaping mouth. "You said my room was on the top floor. Not that it _was_ the entire top floor!"

Tanner shrugged, placing his hands behind his back. "We were told you will be living with _007_."

"We didn't need a house!" The woman scoffed, eyes taking in the elegant furniture.

She left her shoes at the front door. There was no way her dirty Vans were getting all over the polished hardwood floor.

The front area was a parlor of sorts. A large ivory chaise lounge lined one of the cream-hued walls. There was a white leather sofa and chair set surrounding a dark wood table. Art covered the light walls, offsetting the light color of the furniture and the extravagant Persian carpet.

Rose walked through the apartment in wonder. There were so many rooms she didn't know what to do with herself.

There were four bedrooms, three bathrooms, game room, weapons room, living room, family room, dining room, and a kitchen.

The American dropped her bags on the kitchen table. "This is incredible," she murmured, staring at the crystal chandelier that hung over the dining room table. In the center of the black wood table, a huge bouquet of red roses sat in a crystal vase. Rose smiled as she padded over. She leaned down, breathing in the sweet scent of the flowers. There had to be at least six dozen red roses in the large vase. The woman paused, seeing a small white envelope sticking out of the flowers. She opened it, humming contentedly.

* * *

_Roses are red,_

_Blood is too._

_On the night of her death,_

_I'm coming after you... _

_ I can't wait until we meet in person_

_Your admirer xoxo_

* * *

Rose's blood ran cold. "Tanner?" When there was no reply, she threw down the note onto the table. She stalked out of the kitchen, searching wildly for him. "_Tanner!_"

Her blonde locks flew wildly around her. A droplet of cold sweat trailed down her spine.

That's when she saw it. A shadow.

Rose reached for the gun at the waistband of her jeans. Switching off the safety, she pulled the gun out and pointed.

"Tanner?" She asked once more, turning the corner, as she systematically checked for some sort of disturbance or intruder.

Suddenly Tanner walked around the corner, bumping into her. His cell phone was pressed to his ear. His eyes went wide at her drawn weapon. He raised his hands as if she were going to shoot him.

"I'm going to have to call you back, ma'am." He dropped the call immediately. "Rose? Bloody hell!"

"Put your hands down and shut up," she hissed, lowering her gun until she passed the man.

She walked through all the rooms, checking to make sure there was no one else there.

There was nobody there.

Rose finally clicked the safety back on as she walked into the dining room. She placed the handgun back in the waistband of her jeans.

Tanner had picked up the note with a napkin, obviously not wanting to get any prints on it.

"Well... that's disturbing," he hummed, pulling something from his pocket that looked quite a lot like a plastic evidence bag. He slipped the note in before picking up his phone.

"I find it strangely coincidental that you have an evidence bag in your pocket," the young woman stated, crossing her arms as he dialed a number into his mobile.

"I've found in the ten years I've worked for MI6 that you should always be prepared," he smirked, exiting the room.

Rose meandered to the front of the apartment. She pulled off her leather satchel- which was still across her body- and sat down on the chaise lounge. The blonde pulled out her copy of Pride and Prejudice and threw her bare feet up on the cushions. Her body melted into the soft material. She sighed happily- as if a murderous lunatic hadn't just left a note for her in the dining room.

_You've been in London for less than a week, and you already have a lunatic coming after you. Well done, Rose_.

* * *

**TEEHEE. **

**I don't know if I should hide cause you guys are throwing things at me... or if I should be saying, "You're welcome ladies..." ;D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! I want to thank you all for fav/follow/reviewing! You're so sweet to me, and it keeps me writing!**

**Disclaimer: I only own Rose and original dialogue.**

* * *

Rose finished her book while she waited. Sadly, she hadn't brought any others with her.

_Maybe Q has something I could borrow_...

Sighing, she turned back to the first page.

**_It is universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. _**

The blonde stopped immediately. She closed the book and exhaled through her nose.

_That is such bullshit_.

She angrily tossed the paperback onto the glass table at the center of the sitting room. Letting out an aggravated groan, she looked up at the ceiling.

"Tanner?" She called, rolling off the chaise.

The man poked his head out of the kitchen. "Yes?"

"I'm going to go take a nap until everyone gets here. Alright?"

He smiled kindly. "Of course. I'll wake you when they arrive."

Rose nodded, padding through the room with her bare feet. "Thanks."

"No problem."

The woman entered one of the master bedrooms. The room was extravagant, with gold and cream notes throughout. The sheer size of it rivalled the extent of her previous apartment. The sheets on the king-size bed were made of golden silk. Crystal lamps and glass tables surrounded the area, accompanied by a monstrous oak chest of drawers and a polished desk. Floor-length windows covered the far wall, showing the amazing landmarks and horizon of the city.

The blonde locked the door. She stripped out of her clothes, only leaving her in a thin camisole and black panties. She took off her glasses, folding them before placing them on the bedside table. Rose flopped onto the bed with a sigh of pure pleasure. As soon as her eyes closed, she drifted off into unconsciousness.

...

_Rose felt the sharp bite of teeth against the sensitive skin where her neck meets the shoulder. _

_"You're so very naughty, Rose," The voice hummed. _

_Desire, thick and hot, pooled in the woman's belly. She closed her eyes. The lips were on her neck, nibbling and biting. To erase the tinge of pain, a hot tongue laved gently over the tanned expanse of skin, easing the sting. _

_Suddenly, the room shifted. Rose opened her eyes, frowning in confusion. _

_A handsome young man with horn-rimmed glasses was smirking at her. He sat on top of what looked like a computer desk, legs swinging lazily. His arms were crossed over his chest. He wore a pinstriped button-down with a navy cable knit sweater over top. His long legs were encased in black slacks. _

_"Hello Rose."_

_The blonde stumbled back in shock. His voice was the same as the man in the darkness. _

_"Q?" She breathed, stepping forward. Looking down, she saw that she was only clothed in her black camisole and underwear. _

_The Quartermaster's pupils dilated. An animalistic expression consumed his features. Gracefully, the man slid off his desk. He strode predatorily towards her. The sight was not unlike that of a lion stalking its prey. _

_The look he gave sent jolts of fear, excitement, and longing through her. The ache between her thighs magnified. _

_He didn't speak. The handsome man stopped mere inches from the blonde. His hand came up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. _

_Rose's breath hitched at the contact, leaning her head slightly into his touch. His long fingers caressed the side of her face. She watched the man carefully- blue eyes widening. She held her breath, afraid of shattering the moment. Q's expression softened. His fingers trailed across the woman's cheek before running across her lower lip. The blonde's blood seared in her veins. The heat in her belly increased._

_The Quartermaster leaned forward, brushing his lips against her jaw. He left a trail of fire on her skin._

_She could feel lips stretch into a smirk as they moved to the sensitive expanse between her neck and jaw. _

_"Breathe, Rose," he reminded, humming quietly. _

_The blonde sucked air into her lungs immediately, realizing that she'd become dizzy. _

_Q's smirk grew. "Good girl. I like it when you are obedient." _

_Reaching up, he stroked her cheekbone languorously. Running his slim fingers across her skin, he moved to her chin, grasping it gently between his thumb and forefinger. Leaning forward, he planted a brief, chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth, sending Rose reeling. Her insides clenched at the thrilling touch of his lips. It was like being shocked with an exposed wire. _

_Gasping softly, Rose turned her head, attempting to make their lips meet. _

_Tsking softly, Q pulled away. Hazel eyes behind horn-rimmed frames. _

_"It's time to wake up, Rose."_

_Her brows knitted in confusion. "What?"_

_He smirked, leaning down. He finally pressed his lips languidly against hers. _

_"Wake up."_

...

Rose opened her eyes slowly. Rays from the sun warmed her skin as they came through the large windowpane.

Heavy knocks rammed against the bedroom door.

In her sleep deprived state, the woman's heartbeat elevated from the shock. Sliding off the bed, she padded groggily to the door, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Without her glasses, her vision was distorted and blurry. Her bare foot caught the edge of the bureau. Swearing colorfully, Rose hopped around. She bit her lip, groaning.

She watched the doorknob turn. The banging on the door increased.

"Rose? Are you alright?!" Tanner sounded alarmed.

The pain was already beginning to lessen. "Yeah... just stubbed my goddamned toe! Give me a minute-" The blonde rushed to the nightstand to retrieve her glasses. She slipped on her black skinny jeans and royal blue knit sweater before limping to the door.

She ripped it open in frustration, cutting off the obnoxious pounding. Running a rough hand through her thick blonde hair, she gazed at Tanner unpleasantly. Her glare was deadly.

The man shifted under her gaze, having enough grace to flush in embarrassment.

"U-um sorry, Miss Jamison..." He coughed, taking in her rumpled state. "The crew has finished with testing for fingerprints. They didn't find anything."

Rose crossed her arms. "Alright..."

Tanner scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh... Q's in the front room. He wanted to speak with you before we get back to headquarters. Something about an upgraded sniper rifle for you."

The sound of just his name had heat pooling in her belly. Rose nodded, pushing past the man to return to the sitting room. She paused momentarily as she saw him- just taking him in.

He looked out of place sitting on the ivory chaise lounge. His palms were pressed together- as if in prayer- and rested against  
the bridge of his nose. His eyes were closed. He was leaning forward, resting his elbows against his bent knees. His brown curls were wild, as if he'd run his fingers through them one too many times. His wide shoulders were filled with tension.

Rose stepped into the room, alerting the man of her presence. He straightened immediately, pushing his glasses up and fixing the cowl-neck of his navy sweater. The blonde smiled as he stayed seated and reached for her. She walked to him arms without question. She hugged him awkwardly, but it didn't really matter. The blonde breathed in the Quartermaster's musky cologne. It was surprising how much the scent calmed her. She wound her arms around his narrow waist. She felt lips press against her hair. Strong arms took the woman by surprise and tugged her into his lap. Rose sat across his legs. He fit her under his chin easily.

"Are you alright?" He asked, the tenor of the man's voice vibrating through her.

She nodded against the soft knit of his sweater. She flushed as Q brushed his lips across her forehead. Rose pulled away slightly, gazing into his hazel eyes.

"Tanner's still here. What if he sees?"

The Quartermaster shook his head. "He won't. I told him to give me a few minutes with you."

She raised a brow. "And what makes you think he won't just march right through?"

The man smirked. "I promised to update the security on his personal laptop."

Her blush deepened at his words. "You're doing that just to talk with me? I know you're busy with the bomber. I don't want to take up your time-"

Q closed the distance between them, pressing his lips heatedly to hers, effectively cutting off her words. He lifted her up so the blonde straddled his lap. He teased her with his tongue for only a moment before pulling away, leaving her gasping.

"Someone's threatened your life," he muttered against her mouth, pecking her lips between words. "I want to make sure you're alright."

Rose's eyes widened imperceptibly at his sweet actions. She wasn't used to that sort of treatment. In the past months, it was as if her life had taken a completely different direction.

"I-I'm fine," she whispered, heart thundering wildly in her ears.

Q pulled away completely, nodding gently. He helped the blonde off his lap so she could stand. Rose stumbled from the lack of oxygen in her lungs. He caught her with a strong arm around her waist.

"Careful, Rose," he hummed, smirking down at her as he drew to his full height.

She blushed again.

At that moment, Tanner walked back into the room, texting on his mobile. "We need to get back to MI6. M wants to speak with you."

Q walked away- taking his warmth with him. Rose shivered and crossed her arms across her chest. She watched as the handsome man walked to the closet behind the door and took out a black wool coat and scarf along with her leather jacket. He slipped into his coat swiftly and knotted the scarf around his neck.

Smiling softly, he motioned for her to come forward. He helped her into her jacket chivalrously. Glancing up, she noticed Tanner staring open-mouthed at the pair of them. Realizing the woman had caught him staring, he snapped his mouth shut quickly. His face and neck went a peculiar shade of tomato. He made a valiant effort to keep his gaze focused on the ground as he tugged his jacket on.

"Uh... w-well alright. Let's get going then."

...

Q walked her to M's office. He took her hand in his and squeezed it comfortingly when they were concealed by the shadows of the tunnels.

He kissed the blonde's cheek. "Sorry. I have to get back to work."

Rose smiled softly. "No worries. I'll see you later."

Nodding, he slipped his hand out of hers and he retreated back down the stairs without another word.

The woman knocked on the glass door of M's office. The elderly woman looked up from the papers she was reading at the sound before waving her in. Sighing, Rose entered.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes," M slid the stack of papers to the side. "Please take a seat."

Rose walked across the room and perched herself at the edge of one of the chairs. Once she was seated, she raised an inquisitive brow at the head of MI6. "What do you want?"

M smirked at her brazen attitude. "Or analysts have collected everything they could from your flat. There is a high probability that your admirer is the same person that's threatening MI6."

The blonde frowned. "Your bomber."

A nerve twitched under the woman's eye. "Yes."

"Oh."

M leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on her desk. "You are the third person to get a message."

Her frowned deepened. "Who are the others?"

"Myself and the Quartermaster have also been threatened."

_WHAT?_

Rose tried not let the information bother her. Keeping her expression steady, the blonde exhaled. "What should I do?"

M stood and walked around to the front of her desk. She leaned against it and crossed her arms over her chest. She pursed her lips. "Do you have any history with the Witness Protection Program?"

The blonde nodded. "I was a contracted on several security ops. Usually I was in the safe house with a high-profile witness or I was security detail on the perimeter. Why?" She asked, cocking her head to the side as she took in the older woman's expression.

"I'm sending you on your first assignment for MI6. Your mission is to protect Q at any cost. He is vital to finding the bomber. Without him, we can be attacked at any moment. You will stay and live with him in his flat. You are to keep him safe. Do you understand?"

It took all of Rose's self-control for her jaw to not drop to the floor.

"Ah... sorry, what was that?" She asked.

_There's no way in hell that you heard that right_...

Irritation flashed through the woman's gaze. She stood to move back behind her desk. "You heard me. Your things will be moved into his place later today."

Rose looked down at her hands numbly. The onslaught of information created a pounding in her temples.

"Q's alright with this?"

M nodded. "He was notified this morning. He's fine with the arrangement. I won't have him unprotected and I don't have any other men to spare. We're spread thinner than ever before since the bombing."

_You're going to be living with a handsome man you can't keep your hands off of._

_Oh my GOD._

"-You are to shadow him through the work day. You will accompany him home at night. I trust you will be able to be professional? I have heard the gossip. Apparently you two hate each other," she muttered, raising a brow.

_Quite the opposite, lady. _

Rose nodded, ignoring her subconscious. "Of course."

"Very good," M stated, seating herself once more. She pulled the stack of papers towards her once more and picked up her fountain pen.

Obviously being excused, Rose stood and walked out of the glass doors. She blushed scarlet all the way to Q-Branch. Walking through the main room, several agents at their desks looked up. They regarded her strangely. It was obvious they'd heard the woman had been contracted to work for MI6. As she walked by, she heard various hushed whispers.

Rolling her eyes, she quickened her pace.

Soon, she approached the glass doors and into Q-Branch. She ran a hasty hand through her loose blonde locks. The natural waves fell over her shoulder, brushing her waist. The color was a stark contrast to her blue sweater and dark jeans. She pulled the doors open and slipped through, not wanting to interrupt anyone's work.

All of the analysts were sitting in their chairs, typing frantically at their keyboards. Their gazes were focused intently on the screens on their desks and the monitors lining the walls on both sides of the room. Rose walked through silently, her Vans making little noise on the black and white tile floor. She felt eyes on her as she walked through. They felt wary- as if the analysts of Q-Branch were frightened she was going to punch their boss again. They whispered nervously to one another.

Q's back was to her. He stood facing a massive screen on the back wall as he typed on his laptop. His hair was even more wild than when the blonde had seen it in the morning- curls sticking out at the strangest angles.

Rose's heart leaped at the sight of him. Her heart pounded. Her throat went dry. She brushed past him lightly. The Quartermaster tensed. His fingers froze over the keys.

"So I'm going to be your new bodyguard," the woman stated, moving around him. She jumped up on his desk. Reaching over, she grabbed his white mug and sipped some of his tea.

_Earl Grey,_ she noted, holding the cup in her hands. _And a Scrabble mug?_

Q's expression was almost nervous as he watched the blonde cross her legs on his desk. He didn't mind the look of her on top of it. Images of taking her right there on the tabletop caused his black slacks to tighten. "Yes," he responded with no small amount of trepidation.

She took another drink of the hot liquid, looking at the man over the edge of the mug. He went back to typing, staring carefully up at the screen. She smirked.

"M said something interesting during the meeting," the woman hummed.

"Did she?" Q asked. He swallowed audibly.

She shrugged nonchalantly, gazing into his hazel eyes, even though he was doing everything in his power to avoid her stare. "Yeah... something about two other messages sent to members of MI6..."

Rose watched his Adam's Apple bob nervously. She grinned predatorily.

_Going in for the kill-_

"Well there was M, which we already knew about-" Using her fingers, the woman ticked off the name. "And then there was someone I didn't really expect. Someone I thought I was getting close to-"

Q growled. The sound came from the back of his throat. He stopped typing. "You're not being very subtle, Rose." He glanced down at her, raising a single brow.

"I wasn't pretending to be."

Their gazes locked in a tense battle. Calculating and unyielding blue met imploring hazel. Rose watched as the man's eyes trailed down to her lips. His pupils dilated. She smirked, almost seeing the gears turning in his mind.

"Don't even think about it," she hissed, narrowing her eyes at the heat in his gaze. She dropped her voice so none of the analysts would overhear. "We're not going to solve all our disagreements by making out!"

"You're upset with me." It was more of a statement than a question.

Rose's glare was in full force. "No shit Sherlock. How'd you figure that one out?"

He didn't respond. The Quartermaster took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

The woman continued. "Maybe it had something to do with you not trusting me enough to let me know what was happening with you. It could also be that now I have to live with you, barely a week after meeting you. It may even be that now I have to follow you around like a puppy dog for god only knows how long-" She cut herself off. Q was shaking with silent laughter. "This is not funny, Q!" She cried, raising her voice. Glancing over, she saw that all of the analysts were watching them. She glowered at the man in front of her, finishing the last of his Earl Grey out of spite.

Wiping a few tears of mirth from his eyes, Q's laughter finally quieted. "I'm sorry, but that's quite a list you've got there."

Rolling her eyes, Rose hopped off the table. "I'm going to go get some more tea. Since I can't leave you alone, you have to come with me."

Nodding dutifully, the head of Q-Branch closed his laptop.

The walk to the break room was quiet. Q led the way. Rose's sudden anger faded rapidly. The man opened the door and let her enter first. She immediately went to the back wall where a small burner was set up with a kettle. Rose found there was no water left. She felt Q watching her as she filled the kettle with water from the sink. She turned on the burner. Sighing, the blonde crossed her arms over her chest.

She heard his footsteps approach her slowly from behind. His arms wound around her, pulling her against his chest. His hands rested against the woman's belly, pressing her against the hard line of his body.

Rose's insides shivered at the touch. Her eyes fluttered shut. "Q, don't-"

His lips were at the side of her jaw, trailing fire. "Don't be upset with me," he murmured against the tender flesh behind her ear.

She shuddered at the delicious heat that pooled between her legs. "What if someone comes in-"

"I've locked the door." He kissed her neck. "And drawn the blinds."

It was difficult to form and semblance of reasonable thought. "A-ah what... about the c-cameras..." Her eyes rolled back as pleasure rocketed through her. The man leaned over her and bit into the side of her neck at the pulse point. His tongue laved the sting away. The action reminded her too much of the dreams she'd been having.

"I put the security feed on a looped circuit," he whispered. His slim fingers flexed their hold against her stomach. "We have five minutes."

Rose turned in his arms to face him. His hands were low at the small of her back. Q leaned forward and kissed her softly. It was a sweet, closed-mouth kiss. As soon as Rose's fingers sifted through his silky curls, the kiss changed.

The man's lips grew more urgent against hers.

One of his hands moved up to the back of her head. He tugged lightly at the length of her hair, tilting her head up for easier access. His breathing accelerated. Q deepened the kiss, angling the woman's head to the side. Rose's nails grazed across the skin at the nape of his neck. He groaned into her mouth. Swallowing the noise, she pulled him down to her. Her mouth opened and forced her tongue between his soft lips. Q's moan rumbled through his chest. His hand trailed down to the swell of her ass, pressing her against his hips. Rose gasped, feeling of his hard arousal thrust against her belly. He flexed his hips forward. Rose kissed the man possessively, nibbling on his bottom lip. He grunted.

The Quartermaster's hands went under her ass, lifting her up easily. The blonde wrapped her jean-clad legs around his hips instinctively. He pushed her against the fridge. They vaguely heard the rattle of jars and bottles from within.

The kissed resumed savagely. Teeth clashed. Rose ground her hips against him in a liquid circle, savoring the taste of his tongue against hers.

The kettle whistled loudly, shattering the moment. They pulled away, breath mingling.

Rose's face was hot. Her head swam.

Q pressed a final, searing kiss against her mouth before lowering her carefully to the ground.

"We need to go," he breathed. "The cameras are going to turn back on."

Her legs felt unsteady as her feet touched the ground.

Q moved to grab some mugs and prepare the tea. Rose watched his graceful movements, pulling air greedily into her lungs. She pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead.

"I thought we weren't going to make out to solve our problems."

The man shrugged, spooning honey and sugar into the drinks. "You said that. I didn't agree to anything."

Rose smiled despite herself as he turned and passed her a cup. She took it, gazing at the man. His hair was ruffled and wild. His lips were red and swollen. His sweater was rumpled. His pants were stretched tight across his waist, leaving very little to the imagination.

"We really do have to go, Rose," Q hummed, his own eyes taking in the tantalizing sight of the blonde.

Rose nodded, she reached forward and grasped the hem at the bottom of his sweater. Her knuckles accidently grazed his erection as she covered it with the sweater.

The man exhaled shakily, watching her with heated eyes.

Grinning mischievously, the blonde unlocked the door. She turned back, biting her lip.

"Come on, Q. You have a lot of work before you can take me home."

She winked and left him to his own devices as she exited the room and made her way back to Q-branch.

* * *

**Well... That just happened. ;D**

**So Rose is gonna be Q's protective detail! What do you guys think? **

**Let me know!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello my beautiful readers! I give you the gift of Q/Rose for this weekend! **

**Disclaimer: I only own my OC**

* * *

The day went by faster than Rose thought it would. She sat cross-legged on Q's desk, just watching him work. He was adorable and handsome at the same time.

When he focused, the area between his brows furrowed. He pursed his lips into a flat line, if he wasn't mumbling strings of code to himself. When he reached a dead end, the Quartermaster's hands were in his hair- tugging aggressively at the silken curls. His fingers flew over the keyboard faster than the woman though was ever possible.

This was his domain. This is where he felt comfortable and in control.

He was glorious.

Rose smiled as the Quartermaster's eyes flickered to hers. One corner of his mouth pulled up in a smirk. "There's maybe ten minutes left of the day. Would you like to spend them staring at me, or would you like to go early?"

The blonde blushed at his playful attitude. She hopped of the desk and finished off her fifth cup of tea. "Let's go early."

Q shut down his gear, unhooked a mountain of various wires, and slid his laptop into a black leather satchel. "Oh, leave the cups. My assistant will deal with them."

The blonde raised a brow. "You have an assistant?"

He nodded. "She's over there." The man pointed to a slim Asian woman in her mid thirties. Her hair was cut in a modern bob and she wore a tight pencil skirt. She looked up from her work, as if sensing they were watching. Her eyes narrowed angrily.

Rose looked up at the head of Q-Branch. "She seems like a lovely woman."

"-As lovely as sitting on a cactus..." he muttered. I looked up at him in complete shock. He sighed. "Chan is always like that. She's a field agent, but she's here on temporary suspension."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Her partner went missing on a mission. No one knows what happened to him, except for her. She's assigned to Q-Branch until she tells M what happened."

"So... how long has she been here?" Rose asked, tearing her gaze from the furious woman.

"No one really knows," the man whispered conspiratorially. "I tried asking on my first day. Apparently she's been here longer than anyone can remember."

The blonde pursed her lips at the audacity of his story. "She's not the Loch Ness Monster, Q."

The man only shrugged, entirely unrepentant.

Rose decided to change the subject. "So where's your place? Do you have a car?"

Q's frame went rigid. "You should know that I don't really drive."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean 'you don't really _drive_'?"

A hand rifled through his hair. He grabbed their coats and slid his bag across his body. "I just... don't enjoy the sensation of driving." He shrugged. "I fill my mind with more important things than signalling and filling up a gas tank." He helped her into her jacket, large hands skimming over the leather covering her back.

Rose sighed. "So what does that make me, if I drive? Is my mind filled with useless trivia?"

They walked past the final analysts that'd stuck around until the end of the day. They nodded respectfully to their boss. Q held the door for Rose and she smiled in thanks.

"Of course it isn't," he said, picking up where the conversation left off. "My job... is completely numerical based. I have all of this code in my mind, and I just can't afford to fill it with things I don't need."

The blonde smiled up at him as he struggled to explain his situation. "Well... what about trains? Or planes?" She watched as the man shuddered.

"I... I don't like flying." He stated uncomfortably. It was as if a cloud passed over his eyes. Like he was _scared_.

Rose took his hand for only a moment and squeezed it lightly before letting it go. She wanted to be able to comfort him, but there were cameras everywhere. "It's alright..." They walked into the main room. Most of the desks were empty. When she looked up, she saw that Q was watching her carefully, hazel eyes taking her in. She smiled self-consciously. "What?"

_Oh no... do I have something on my face...?_

He just continued staring at her. "Usually people just laugh at me when I tell them things like that. They think I'm odd."

The blonde giggled. "I never said you weren't."

The Quartermaster smiled at that. The corner of his mouth pulled up.

"Rose! Q!" Tanner jogged towards them. He was panting when he finally reached them. He turned to the woman and passed her a familiar set of keys.

Attached to the keys was an intricately carved wooden heart key chain. She'd bought it from the bazaar a year into living in her old place. A small girl ran the shop because her parents had both passed away. Rose had given her more than triple the listed price for the item. The little girl was elated and thanked her profusely.

Rose smiled at the memory, running her fingers over the polished wood. "You brought my baby?"

Tanner chuckled. "If you mean the Impala, then yes." He started to walk off. "Oh," he turned, remembering something. "I also filled up the tank. It's waiting for you at the front." He gave them a small wave before turning to leave again.

She grinned. "Thanks Tanner! You're the best!"

"I know!" He called back with a wave before disappearing down the tunnel.

...

The drive to Q's flat was uneventful. Traffic was in the middle of Rush Hour and they had to frequently stop. The man's gaze was on her the entire time, taking in her features. The blonde found herself blushing at the intense stare. She turned to look at him but he chuckled and said, "Keep your eyes on the bloody road."

The Quartermaster's directions sent her to a large apartment complex. From the outside, the building looked expensive and posh. As soon as the car rolled up to the curb, a chauffeur was opening their doors and taking the keys. Rose smiled kindly at the small man and slid out from behind the wheel to let him in. Q came around the car and placed his hand at the small of her back, ushering her into the building.

Their shoes clicked across the white marble floors. The decor was extravagant. Huge bouquets of flowers sat on the tables in the lounge area.

The doorman nodded to them. "Good evening, Sir. Good day at work?"

Q nodded in response. "Yes, thank you. You?"

"Yes, Sir, thank you." The doorman's gaze flickered to Rose. He looked reasonably dumbfounded.

_Obviously doesn't bring home other girls..._ The thought warmed her for some reason.

"Hello there." Rose smiled and shook his hand.

The man rushed to remove the uniform cap from his head and smooth down his balding head. He took her hand and pumped it with just a little bit too much enthusiasm.

"Wonderful to meet you Ma'am-" The look of surprise on the doorman's face was quickly extinguished by a warning glare from Q.

Taking her hand, he pulled the woman towards the elevator without a word and pressed the call button for the lift. The doors opened and they walked inside. Q pressed the button for the top floor. As soon as the doors slid shut, the energy between them shifted. Pure, raw energy crackled through the air. Rose pressed her back against the back wall, relishing in the cool temperature of the metal against her suddenly hot skin.

_It's only a couple of minutes. Just try not to think about him..._ Rose failed miserably. She glanced over at the man next to her out of the corner of her eye.

His arms were tightly crossed over his chest. The Quartermaster's hands were clenched in tight fists against his thighs. His jaw clenched.

_Oh. I'm not the only one..._

The impulse to touch the man was overwhelming. It was as if all of the atoms in her body were pulling her to him. His eyes finally met hers as he peered sideways.

The doors finally opened, allowing cool air to flood inside. They let out simultaneous exhalations of breath and flew out of the lift, unable to withstand the tension.

Q led the way through the single hallway. He unlocked the door at the end and pushed it open.

It was quite different than the lavish- and no doubt expensive- furnishings of the apartment she had visited earlier in the day. Almost all of the furniture had been exchanged for matching armchairs and a large sofa. They were all made of the softest looking brown leather. A Persian rug identical to hers had been rolled up and pushed against the far wall, leaving the clean hardwood floor to breathe. It was a comfortable living space- albeit empty, since most of the items had been taken away.

Rose raised a brow at Q as he placed his satchel on the table near the entrance and started to unbutton his coat. He hung it up in the closet and reached for mine. She quickly slipped off the leather jacket and passed it over.

"Didn't like the decor?"

The man shrugged noncommittally as he draped her coat on one of the hangers. "It was inhibiting my thought process to see so many patterns in one living space." He closed the closet and moved past her into the kitchen.

The blonde snorted unflatteringly. "I can't believe you just said that..." She shook her head when he didn't reply and moved to follow him through the flat. The woman saw that all of her things had been delivered and were resting on the dining room table.

Q walked over to the stove and turned on one of the burners before reaching into a cabinet to pull out a kettle. He went through the motions of making more Earl Grey. He poured some water into the kettle and turned on the burner.

"So," he started, leaning over the kitchen countertop. "What are your ideas to protect me?" There were slivers of humor in his tone.

Rose sighed and hopped up on one of the barstools lining the marble counter. "I'll have to set up a perimeter and deal with the windows and exits-"

"Oh." His brow furrowed. "You're actually taking this seriously."

The woman laughed in confusion. "Of course."

The Quartermaster turned at the sound of the whistling kettle. "M should not be worried. She has more important things to deal with." He poured the water into two mugs. He added the bags of Earl Grey and passed her one over the counter.

She took it and thanked him softly. The heat from the mug warmed her hands. "Q, someone threatened you. M wants be to make sure you're safe. Your branch is incredibly important to her."

The man exhaled and reached up to run his hand hastily through his mop of chocolate curls. He took a long gulp of his tea before speaking again. "I'm going to take a shower and get changed," he stated, taking his mug with him as he suddenly left the room.

Rose sighed and sipped her drink, careful not to burn her tongue. _I think this is the most tea I've consumed in my entire life._ The thought make her chuckle as she moved through the apartment. She wasn't sure what made the man leave. He was acting strange. The blonde vaguely heard the water turn on as she moved into the dining room. The knowledge that the object of her desire was currently naked- with only a thin wall between them- caused her stomach to clench.

She grabbed her duffels with her collection of weapons as well as her sniper case and deposited them on the wood floor. The woman sat down in front of them and crossed her legs. Using the hair elastic around her wrist, she messily hoisted the length of her hair into a messy bun. Letting out a delicate sigh, she started to take out all of the individual items. Not long after, a large plethora of weaponry was organized over the floor. The blonde had removed the magazines from her guns as she had moved onto disassembling and cleaning them when she heard Q's footsteps behind her.

She glanced back at him over her shoulder and pushed up her glasses- which had begun to slide down her nose. She swallowed. The man had changed into worn lounging clothes. He wore a pair of red flannel sleep pants and a soft grey t-shirt. His hair was damp and untamed, as if he just ran a towel over it. Some of the longer curls flopped behind his thick glasses and into his eyes.

Rose bit her lip and turned back to pace her weapons. She willed her hands to stop shaking.

The Quartermaster's lips curled up at the sight of her sitting cross-legged on his floor. It gave him an odd sense of satisfaction. He took a sip of his tea and watched her movements for several long minutes.

Q looked amazing in his blazers and sweaters, she made no argument against that. But the man looked downright _delectable_ in his pajamas. They were slightly baggy on his slim frame. The pants were low on his hips. The sleeves of the shirt revealed toned forearms and biceps.

She watched him as he moved to grab his satchel in pull out his laptop. He padded barefoot to the couch and sunk into the leather. He powered up his gear efficiently and soon his slim fingers were flying across the keys.

The blonde wanted to knock him to the ground and have her wicked way with him. _Maybe I could cuff him to his bed... _She contemplated all the things she could do to make him beg. She barely managed to contain her urges as her fingers fumbled across the cool metal and hard plastic of her guns.

After half an hour of trying to clean a single Beretta, she threw down her cloth in frustration and placed the gun back on the floor. She noticed that Q looked over at her, cocking a brow. She peered back, eyes narrowing at the little smirk she saw stretching his lips.

"Everything okay over there?" The Quartermaster hummed innocently. He went back to typing.

Rose growled. "I'm going to check the exits."

...

That occupied her time for at least an hour. After a few modifications, the security was as tight as it could possibly be.

She found Q in the same place she'd left him; sitting on the couch, tapping away at his computer. The only thing that changed was that he seemed to have turned on the lamp next to him. He spared her a swift glance before continuing his work.

"How'd it go?"

Rose shrugged. "There wasn't much to do," she sighed, walking into the dining room. She grabbed her duffel of clothes and moved into the bathroom. She flicked the light on and locked the door. She unzipped her bag, searching for a baggy shirt and a pair of plaid sleep shorts.

"Where do you want to sleep tonight?" Q's voice queried from the couch.

The woman found the items and changed quickly. She took her hair down from its high bun, letting the sun-bleached waves fall down her back in a curtain. "I don't know," she called back, turning off the light and moving back into the front room. "I was thinking the couch...," she trailed off, noticing that the man wasn't paying attention.

The Quartermaster's eyes widened at the sight of her. Her shorts were barely there. Only a thin strip of the plaid material showing under the large sleep shirt. Long, tanned legs stretched on for miles. She had taken off her shoes, leaving her feet bare. He swallowed. The man forced himself to look back at the screen of his computer. He saw that his fingers had typed out unintelligible nonsense while he was ogling her body.

"Uh... um- you could take one of the guest rooms," he stuttered out. He was starting to feel lightheaded. The blood was draining from his brain and moving down south. Q subtly moved his laptop further up his lap, hopefully concealing his arousal from prying eyes.

Rose hummed lightly as she deposited her bag on one of the armchairs. "It's alright. The couch is fine for me. I'd like to have a central view of the apartment during the night." She flopped down on the couch next to him and exhaled quietly. She tried to ignore the scent of his body wash. It was a mouth-watering mixture of amber, musk and woodsmoke.

She watched Q work for another hour. He tried to sneak glances over at her but failed miserably- as he was caught every time. She noticed him staring quite a bit at her bare legs- which were folded delicately under her. The blonde had turned to face him completely, almost taking up the entire couch as she put her feet up on the cushions, but her knees were bent so there was enough room for the both of them.

Rose wanted to touch his face more in that one hour more than anything else in the world. The adorable crease between his brows was back. She yearned to reach out and smooth away the wrinkles with her fingers. His jaw clenched as he concentrated. His fingers flew across the keyboard with impossible speed. Every so often, his fingers would come up to fist his dark hair, tugging the curls. The action cracked her resolve every time.

Exhaling, Rose shifted on the couch, attempting to quell the ache between her legs.

After another fifteen minutes, Q let out a long sigh and shut his laptop, placing it on the glass coffee table in front of him.

In a sudden, unexpected movement, the man tugged the blonde onto his lap. She let out a sharp gasp of surprise, hands clutching the back of the sofa to steady herself. Her knees were on either side of him, straddling his hips. She could feel him pressing intimately against her. The Quartermaster's hands flexed their hold on her waist.

"For the past hour, you've been squirming around on this _god forsaken _couch_-_" He hissed through clenched teeth as he involuntarily bucked against her.

Rose let out a breathy groan. "S-sorry..." Her fingers moved from the sofa and anchored themselves in his silken curls.

"What are you doing to me, Rose?" He breathed, gazing up at the woman in his lap reverently. "I've never felt this way in my entire life..."

She couldn't help but grin. "Neither have I."

The blonde captured his lips in a soft, closed-mouth kiss. He tasted like mint and Earl Grey. When she moved to pull away, his hand pressed against the small of her back, pressing them closer together. Rose moaned into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, angling his head to the side. He took advantage of her open mouth, his tongue deftly sliding between her lips. She responded with equal fervour. Their tongues battled in an erotic dance that was all about sensation. Their hips undulated against each other, searching for some sort of friction.

Without breaking the kiss, Q slowly turned them around to lay down on the couch. He supported the majority of his weight on his forearms, which were on either side of the beauty's head, like an unbreakable cage.

Rose gasped into his mouth at the sudden movement. He swallowed the sound easily. The Quartermaster's hand on her lower back trailed to her backside. He pulled her long, slender legs around his hips. In this position, she could feel every part of him pressing against her curves.

Her fingers tugged on his hair roughly. The man grunted. His hips gave shallow thrusts.

Rose gasped for air, breaking the connection between their lips.

Hot breath mingled.

She looked up into his eyes. Q's pupils were dilated. She could barely see the stunning hazel of his irises.

Their breathing slowed.

The man's fingers came up to the neckline of her shirt. He pulled the material down, exposing her collarbone. Leaning down, he pressed teasing, open-mouthed kisses across her clavicle. She shivered with pleasure. The trail of liquid fire moved to the hollow of her throat. He pressed his flat tongue against the skin there, languidly tasting her. She cried out, fisting his hair in her hands. The kisses traveled up the column of the woman's throat. Finally, his lips grazed over her jaw.

Then, the man was pulling away.

Rose groaned loudly at the sudden loss. She blushed.

"I should go to bed," Q stated, easily breaking the hold of her legs around him as he moved off of the couch. "It's getting late."

The woman's mouth dropped open with an audible _pop. _

_No. This should be illegal..._

"Goodnight, Rose," he hummed, smiling unrepentantly. He sent her one last glance before walking towards his bedroom. "Hope you enjoy the _sofa_."

_He knows full well what he's doing to me._

"Sleep well," he whispered, almost sensually. Rose's brain couldn't formulate a response. She nodded stiffly.

Then he disappeared from view as he entered his bedroom.

Moments later, the door closed behind him with an audible _click_.

* * *

**Does that count as a cliffie? xD Sorry guys. I guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter ;P**

**Fav/Follow/Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I only own what you don't see in the movie. **

* * *

The night passed with little hindrance. The sun revealed itself over the horizon, warm and bright. Fingers of light sifted through the curtains covering the floor-to-ceiling windows. Rose stared up at the ceiling. She'd cleaned all of her equipment. Twice. She'd re-organized the furniture- not that there was much to be done. She attempted to make several soufflés, but after the fifth one burnt, she decided it would be better not to put Q's life in jeopardy. The woman yearned to go for a walk, but she knew that leaving him on his own would only spell trouble. She mulled over going to him- climbing into his bed and having her wicked way with him. She resisted. It was virtually impossible, but she managed.

Rose sat up on the sofa and attempted to relieve the ache from her back. Loud cracks emanated from her spine as she twisted to and fro. The sofa was certainly not the most comfortable of sleeping arrangements. Hearing the bedroom door opening, the blonde looked up. Q walked out, running a hand through his hair, which was damp and freshly washed. He wore another knitted sweater. It was beige and forest green, argyle print. A pair of black slacks hung low on his hips.

"Good morning, Rose," he greeted, no small amount of cheer coloring his tone. The woman rolled her eyes and padded into the kitchen where he was preparing two cups of Earl Grey. He smiled serenely up at her. "How was your sleep?"

She pursed her lips as she climbed up onto one of the barstools. "I believe you know the answer to that."

He peered over the tops of his glasses at her. A faint smirk lifted his mouth. "Indulge me."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "It was fine."

He handed her a cup, clicking his tongue admonishingly . "It's quite unbecoming for a young woman to lie."

She exhaled and took a sip, burning her tongue in the process. She set the mug down on the countertop. "You work for once of the most formidable spy agencies in the world, and you're bugging _me_ about lying?"

Q smirked. "Touché." He took a long pull of his tea, despite the temperature. "You admit you're lying though. Hmm, you could've come to bed."

Rose raised a brow. "With you?"

His lips twitched. "I was thinking more of the guest room, but that would've also sufficed."

The woman flushed pink and brought the cup to her lips, hoping it would divert his attention. It did. The man left the kitchen for several minutes and came back with his laptop. He powered it up and sat on the barstool next to her. He smelled of spicy cologne, body wash, and the unmistakable scent of Q. She found herself crossing her legs in an attempt to quell the ache between her thighs.

The Quartermaster made a small noise at the back of his throat. His brow furrowed.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

The man started typing away and his keyboard. A frown puckered the area between his dark brows. "It seems... That the bomber has released the first five names on the web overnight..."

"What are you going to do?"

Q sighed exasperatedly. "M has already contacted Tanner. They're going to try to pull the agents out but-"

"It'll be too late," Rose finished his statement, watching the frustration cross his handsome features.

He nodded and paused in his typing to run his hands through his dark curls, which were still damp from his shower. "Someone needs to find Bond and make him aware of the change in circumstances."

The woman perked up. "I could go-"

"_No_." The word was spat with unbelievable force. The woman glanced over at him in surprise, eyes wide. He swallowed. "Ah, y-you're needed here," he tried, quickly backpedalling. "My security, and all."

Rose frowned and crossed her arms across her chest. "Why don't you want me to go? Someone else could watch over you until I get back-"

Q slammed his laptop shut and started yanking the cords away. "You're. Not. Going." His jaw clenched. His eyes were molten with fury. "This isn't a discussion, Rose."

She was alarmed. "Why are you-"

"_Rose._ I can't-" He stopped himself, closing his eyes. "I would go myself, but I would have to fly- and that won't be happening."

"Why are you so opposed to me leaving?" She breathed, reaching forward. Her fingers brushed across his jaw, which was still rigid. She could feel movement under her touch. He was grinding his teeth.

His opened his eyes. His stare was on the countertop. As she brushed her fingers over his mouth, his hand came up and slowly closed around hers. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a hot kiss in the center of her palm. "I..." he paused. "I'm a selfish man, Rose." She laughed softly. The sound caught in her throat at the look he gave her. It was as if he was imploring her to understand. "If you leave, I don't know what would happen. You could go away with... _him_."

"Q...," she sighed. "James is my _friend_. If something has happened, I need to tell him."

He growled low in his throat. "Eve can go. And you can stay here. With me."

Rose watched the man carefully. "We're not even together. Just because we've kissed, it doesn't mean that-"

"Be mine, then," he breathed against her palm. His lips moved to press teasing kisses to the pads of her fingers. "I want you to be mine. _Only _mine."

Her heart jumped into her throat. "Q..." She laughed her disbelief, but the sound was just a little too airy. "We've known each other for what...? Less than a week? I don't know anything about you," she chuckled humorlessly and ran a hand through her hair. "For Christ's sake, I don't even know your real name! You don't know anything about me..."

"I know enough," he muttered. The Quartermaster was watching her carefully, as if she was going to bolt.

Rose shook her head, laughing a little too loudly; almost hysterically. She slipped off the stool and backed away from him. She had to put space between them, even if it was only to clear her mind. She couldn't think around him. All she wanted to do was to say 'Yes', jump into his arms and kiss him. The blonde wanted him to ravage her. It was such an intense emotion. So alarming.

"I- I can't have this conversation with you right now." She swallowed audibly and pressed her palm to her forehead; the palm he kissed only moments before. Her stomach clenched at the thought.

He sighed and brought his hands up, as if he was trying to calm a wild animal. "Rose, wait..."

She backed into the dining room and grabbed her duffel. "T-this was a bad idea. I shouldn't have agreed to this." She pulled out a pair of sweatpants and slipped them over her sleep shorts. She threw on a baggy hoodie and started to put everything back in her bags. Her hands trembled as she heard Q walk up behind her. She threw the last of her weapons into her bag and tried to avoid his gaze.

"You're... Leaving?" His voice sounded so small.

She stood and fit her bags over her shoulder. She did everything in her power to avoid his gaze. "I can't stay."

He stumbled back, as if he'd been slapped. "Please." Rose looked up at that. His eyes were wide behind his horn-rimmed frames. "Please... don't leave." He was begging.

The woman exhaled. She ran he fingers over her scalp in aggravation. "I don't want to," she admitted quietly.

There was a relieved sigh. "Then don't. I apologize if I scared you, if that's what's happening right now. If you're running." He closed the distance between them, long strides eating up the space. His large hands cupped her face. "Look at me, Rose." The blonde did as he asked. Immediately, she was falling. Falling across the empty synapse. She was plunging into the wide, yawning abyss. "I want you. _Need _you."

Rose inhaled a sharp breath at his words. "Q..." She moved to pull away, but he held fast. His grasp was firm but gentle.

"I crave you more than anything I've ever experienced. You're gorgeous. You're hilarious. You're clever...," he trailed off as he pressed his forehead to hers. "Please understand that I want you. So very much." His voice was raw.

This was it. The ultimatum.

There were so many emotions running through her. She pressed a hand against his chest, about to push the man away.

_You've been doing this your entire life. Just this once, stay. Stay._

Her brow creased. Her fingers on his chest clenched the fabric of his sweater. "I... I don't know..."

"Stay," he breathed. "Stay with me Rose." His hands came up and slowly slipped the duffels from her shoulders. He was still giving her the choice. The chance to back away.

Her head and heart were battling back and forth. If she stayed, what would that mean? Would they be together? What did he want? If she left, could she forget about him? Could she move on?

Exhaling shakily, the blonde allowed the bags to fall to the floor. In an instant, she was in Q's arms. All of the fight drained out of her. The Quartermaster lifted her up off the ground, cradling the woman against his chest. His warm scent surrounded her completely. Lips were pressed against her hair.

"Thank you," he breathed. Kiss. "Thank you." Kiss. He repeated it over and over, like a mantra. He walked them to his bedroom, kicking the door open rather deftly. Q placed the woman on his bed and laid down next to her. "You're so beautiful," he said, gazing in awe down at her. He pecked her lips sweetly before slipping his arms around her. She leaned into his warmth. Inhaled his scent. Her arms slowly came to wind around his waist. Rose didn't know how long they sat like that, just holding each other. Every so often, he would pull back to capture her lips in a sweet kiss.

Rose pulled away and gazed into his hazel eyes. They were so beautiful in the early morning light.

"When do we have to go in?"

Q lifted his wrist to check his watch. He grunted. "We should've left at seven."

"What time is it now?"

Shrug. "Seven forty-five."

The woman cursed and rolled away. Before she could stand, The Quartermaster wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips against the back of her neck. "Thank you for staying." He swept her hair to the side and kissed the side of her throat. "I do apologize if I was being forward."

Rose sighed as her eyes fluttered shut. She relished in the heat of his mouth against her skin. "You came on kind of strong there."

He chuckled, hot breath brushing against the small hairs there. "I apologize profusely, then."

She looked at him over her shoulder. Their faces were inches away. "Why are you so jealous of James?"

Q exhaled carefully as he thought about the words. "I've heard the stories. He shags any girl he wants. He's the sort of man that takes everything, and leaves nothing. Those who love him, turn up dead."

She scowled. "He's changed though, since he met me."

The man arched a single brow. "I believe that proves my point."

"You... you think he wants to be with me? In that way?" She was so confused. James was her best friend. There was no way he wanted that from her.

Q just pressed his mouth to hers.

The woman laughed quietly. The tension of their previous conversation faded minutely. She turned and pushed him away. "You're already late for work, mister. We don't have time-"

He silenced her with a heated kiss. His tongue skillfully parted her lips and tangled with hers. His hands grasped at the hem of her sweatshirt. All too soon, he was pulling away. His lips quirked up in a smirk.

"_Now_ we can leave."

* * *

**I know it was short, but I've been incredibly busy with my other stories. Feel free to read them if you wish! I write Avengers, Sherlock, and Lord of the Rings fanfiction :)**

**Thanks for reading, favoriting, following and reviewing. **


End file.
